Some children watch athletes while they are growing up and dream of someday becoming just like them.
East Hall Boys Basketball Coach Joe Dix spent years attending basketball games ?with his father; and always watched the coaches more than the players. He’s known since then that he wanted to be a basketball coach.
Dix grew up in Tuskegee, Ala. and attended Alabama State University in Montgomery. While there, he went to the gym at 5 a.m., three mornings a week and it was there that he met a man who asked him if he wanted to play basketball in college.
Soon after, Dix played at Dekalb College for a year and went on to University of North Georgia and played for three more years.
Joe went on to fulfill his childhood dream and has been a basketball coach for the last 20 years.
As East Hall High School’s assistant coach for eight years, the team won three state championships under head coach Seth Vining. In his first season as head coach the Vikings went 31-1 and won a state title in 2005; with standouts and local basketball legends like Brody Langston, Frank Davis and Keldrick Coleman.
We thank Coach Dix for taking time out of his day to answer some questions about his life, interests and love for Hall County.
Question: If you could only eat at one place for an entire week in Hall County, where would it be?
Answer: “Senior Fiesta.”
Q: How long have you lived in Hall County?
A: “20 years.”
Q: If you could see any three bands, dead or alive, perform together, who would they be?
A: “Prince and the Revolution, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met in Hall County?
A: “My wife, Maria. She was a teacher and raised four kids basically by herself.” Dix and Maria have been married for 10 years and have a five year old son.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
A: “Jamaica.”
Q: What’s your favorite song?
A: “’Let’s go Crazy’ by Prince.”
Q: What is your favorite social outing in Hall County?
A: “Dinner with my family.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “It’s a small town (like what I grew up in). I like the size. It’s actually a larger city with a small town vibe.”
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: “’Forrest Gump.’ I lost my mom to cancer and could really relate.”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “Find your joy, your passion, and chase it. Go after it with everything. And love the people around you.”
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone, alive and a non-relative, who would it be?
A: John Wooden

  • Why? “He was one of the GREAT basketball coaches. He coached for UCLA.”
  • Where would you have this lunch? “Senior Fiesta”
  • If lunch cancelled, where would you take them to dinner? “Locos. We’d have 20 wings, 10 honey bbq and 10 teriyaki.”

The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.