Walton head coach resigns with Colquitt County coordinator duties on horizon

Walton coach Maurice Dixon, right, talks to players before the start of a high school football game against Marietta, Friday Aug. 29, 2014, in Marietta. (Special/John Amis)

Credit: Seth Ellerbee

Credit: Seth Ellerbee

Walton coach Maurice Dixon, right, talks to players before the start of a high school football game against Marietta, Friday Aug. 29, 2014, in Marietta. (Special/John Amis)

By Score Atlanta

One of the most established and respected high school football programs in the state is without a head football coach.

Maurice “Mo’’ Dixon, who has led the Walton High School Raiders for the last three years, resigned Friday. He informed his players that he was resigning in a team meeting on Friday and is expected to be named the defensive coordinator at powerhouse Colquitt County in the upcoming week.

Dixon went 15-16 in his three seasons at Walton, taking the Raiders to the playoffs in 2015 and finishing 4-6 last season. But the Raiders are expected to be a Class AAAAAAA team capable of reaching the top 10 this year, bringing back 17 starters including rising junior Dominique Blaylock, considered one of the top high school receivers in the county.

Dixon’s departure may be in part to the loss of several assistants to other high schools recently and his resignation comes right before the start of the last week of spring practice.

Walton, considered one of the top academic schools in the state, has already received a number of resumes and phone calls about the vacant head coaching position.

In May 2014, Dixon, who has more than 30 years of high school coaching experience, was named the ninth head football coach at Walton High School, replacing Rocky Hidalgo, who left to become the head coach at Glynn Academy.

According to his bio on the Walton football website, Dixon came to Walton from national power house, 11-time South Carolina state championship Byrnes High School where he was the defensive coordinator. He also was the DC at North Gwinnett High School, helping turn the Bulldogs into one of the top programs in the metro area. Before North Gwinnett, Dixon had been head coach at North Broward Prep in Florida and Hazard High School and Knott County Central in Kentucky.