Dwayne Dixon, a 17-year coaching veteran in the Southeastern Conference, was named the Bobcats new wide receivers coach Monday.

Leaving a similar position he held at North Carolina State for two years to take the job at Ohio, Dixon will replace former wide receivers coach Derek Mason, who left in April to take a position with the Minnesota Vikings as their assistant defensive backs coach.

Before he coached at North Carolina State, Dixon coached at his alma mater, Florida, for 15 years, holding a variety of positions, but was always around the team’s wideouts. From 1994 to 2002, the Gators produced at least one NFL draft pick at the wide receiver position.

Dixon was a 4-year letter winner at Florida and was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 1997. He had two separate stints in the NFL before entering the Arena Football League, where he had a very successful career.

Dixon should be challenged in his first year with the Bobcats, as he takes over a receiving corps that caught just three touchdowns — all by departed senior William Norwood — last season.Bobcats hire new assistant coach

The men’s basketball team filled a coaching vacancy of its own last week, naming Bacari Alexander as a new member to the team’s coaching staff.

Alexander replaces former assistant Brian Townsend, who was named director of basketball operations at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

Alexander left his assistant position at the University of Detroit, which he had held for six seasons, to come to Ohio.

Originally beginning his playing career at Robert Morris, Alexander played his final two years in college at Detroit. After a brief stint with the team as player programs coordinator, Alexander played two seasons with the Harlem Globetrotters before ultimately returning to his alma mater.