Optimism filled the chambers of the Alcovy High School auditorium on Wednesday night as the Tigers ushered in the Diego Dixon era.

Dixon was officially hired as the school’s new head football coach last week after a months-long search. As the new man on campus, student-athletes, parents and coaches sat attentively as Dixon presented his plans for the future of Alcovy football.

Throughout his hour-long discussion, Dixon kept one familiar yet convincing mantra at the forefront of the room: winning every single day.

“1-0 everyday. I’m going to preach that. I’m going to stand on it,” Dixon said. “We’ve got to go 1-0 everyday with good daily habits and create those leadership skills that’s going to create excellence.”

The newest Tiger originally hails from Milledgeville, where he starred as a quarterback at Baldwin High School. After high school, he played college football at Georgia Military College for two seasons. He then made the move to his collegiate home, Fort Valley State University, where he transitioned to wide receiver and shared a room with Super Bowl Champion Ricardo Lockette.

Once his playing days were over, Dixon immediately found himself back in the game on the coaching side. He has gone on to coach high school football for 14 years as an assistant, most recently serving as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and strength and conditioning coach for Central Gwinnett High School.

But now the time has finally come for Dixon to take the next step in his career as a head coach. And he’ll do that at a place that feels a little bit like home.

“Being raised in a small community and being raised in Milledgeville, Georgia, Alcovy definitely caught my eye,” Dixon said. “I was very thrilled about interviewing first, and then when I got it [the job] I was so ecstatic about me and my family coming here.”

On the field, Dixon says he plans to be assertive in his game day preparations. 

Alcovy will run the Go-Go offense, a variation of the spread offense created by college football coach Brennan Marion. Defensively, the Tiger defense will run a 4-2-5 uptempo scheme that promotes quickness and physicality.

But most importantly, Dixon emphasized putting his players in the right places at all times.

“I just like to get the ball in playmakers’ hands,” Dixon said. “That’s the biggest thing.”

One of those playmakers is rising senior quarterback Trey Bryant. In his first season as the Tigers' starter, Bryant produced mixed results but showed promise throughout the year.

While Dixon says he hasn’t sat down with his new quarterback as of yet, he looks forward to working with the potential Bryant has to offer.

“I’ve been watching his film almost every day,” Dixon said. “I’m excited about him. I believe that he has so much more to give, and he’s got to get the right person here in coaching him up. His ceiling is high.”

Then, after summer workouts, the Tigers will host a fall scrimmage on Aug. 14 at the brand-new home stadium. The 10-game regular season begins the following week with a schedule that features brand-new region opponents and a notable absence of in-county rivals, Newton and Eastside.

With the stage set, Dixon will hope to lead Alcovy to its first winning season in 13 years. More importantly, though, he strives to be the man who creates a winning culture on Highway 36.

“I truly believe the best days of Alcovy football are ahead of us,” Dixon said. “I look forward to the challenge.”