Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Pike Liberal Arts School Foundation Board of Trustees announces Rush Hixon as Athletic Director and Varsity Football Head Coach. Fresh off leading the Patriots in the 2021 AISA 3A State Championship as interim head coach, Hixon assumes his expanded role immediately.

Hixon will continue to serve as the Varsity Baseball Head Coach. According to John Ramage, PLAS Foundation Board Chairman, Coach Hixon is the right man at the right time. “Coach Hixon is a true Pike Patriot. Given his family’s many contributions at the school which date back to its founding in 1970, Coach Hixon understands our legacy of success while also having vision for taking our boys and girls programs to a new level of competition. He has wisdom beyond his years and is an example of integrity, character and work ethic to our student-athletes. Coach Hixon has a plan of success for the Pike Patriots in the classroom, in the community and on the field of play. I believe Coach Hixon will redefine success for Pike Liberal Arts School athletics in the years to come.”

Hixon is a 2015 graduate of PLAS where he was lettered in football, basketball and baseball and was named an AISA All-Star in each of his sports. In 2012, Hixon was on the Patriot baseball team that brought the first AISA state championship trophy home to Pike.

Hixon was a scholarship collegiate athlete, playing baseball at LBW and Central Alabama community colleges before signing with Troy University in 2018 and later serving as a graduate assistant for Troy Baseball. During his career as a player, Hixon achieved a list of awards and accolades for both is athletic and academic accomplishments.

PLAS hired Hixon to be the head baseball coach in June 2020 and he joined the PLAS Varsity Football staff as the wide receivers coach for that season. Last spring, he led Patriots Baseball to their third consecutive state championship.

For the 2021 football season, Hixon was the passing game coordinator prior to being named Interim Head Coach in November during the playoff season.Coach Hixon coached the Patriots to a 41-21 win over Tuscaloosa Academy in the AISA 3A State Championship this past November.

Eric Burkett, PLAS Head of School, explains that Coach Hixon’s composure and character during a critical time for the Patriots left a lasting impression.

“Coach Hixon showed a lot of leadership in stepping up to accept the challenge of Interim Head Coach mere hours before our semi-final playoff game. He led our players well. He motivated the team while showing an incredible amount of humility, instilling confidence and really kept the focus on the players and their goal during an emotional time. Coach Hixon always keeps the students as his priority and his players have a great deal of respect for him. He inspires his players to work hard and have a winning attitude. I have a lot of confidence in Coach Hixon and look forward to our future together.”

In less than the 18 months Hixon was hired at PLAS, Hixon has shown incredible accomplishment. Coaching three out of the four state championships the school has won since he joined the staff, Hixon holds the rare distinction of being the only coach to be handed two of those AISA state championship trophies in two sports.

“I’m extremely humbled and thankful for this opportunity,” Hixon says. “Pike holds a special place in my heart and to get the chance to lead this athletic department means the world to me. Our goal will be to field athletic teams that our school, alumni, and community can be proud of. I look forward to being a part of the continued growth and success of Pike athletics.”