Eckerd: What was your relationship like in college?
Moss: D[amian] and I were three-year teammates. He was a year behind me coming in. It just so happened that we were also roommates, making our relationship that much stronger off the court and then enhancing our on-court performance. We were a good 1-2 combo, my job was to find him. He took the shots, and made me look good.
Dixon: It was kind of funny. As soon as we met each other, we hit it off right away. We are both from down south. I'm from Florida, and he's from Georiga, so we had that southern connection right away. We did everything together outside of the court, and it turned into us being like brothers. Where you saw one, you saw the other, and if not together at the moment, we were probably going to meet up with the other. It's been like that since day one.
Eckerd: Since you were roommates, did anything transfer from the game to your personal life?
Dixon: We talked about the game all the time. With our relationship, it was really cool because he was one of the only people I could be completely honest with, and he would not get mad at me. We can call each other out and not get mad and that translated over to the court.
Moss: Being able to hold each other accountable is something we both strived for and made us so successful.
Eckerd: You both played semiprofessional and coached at the same time after you graduated. What was it like to continue to play together and also break into your coaching career at the same time?
Moss: We both had the passion to play the game still, so it was a blessing to be able to do that together, but we also knew we wanted to give back to the game in the sense of being a coach. Coach G[aluski] set that foundation to want to do what he does as a coach and impact guys the way we were impacted by him.
Dixon: It was almost the perfect situation for us, still being able to play while coaching and impacting other athletes' lives. The passion we had and holding each other accountable transferred over to our coaching lives. We both started our careers young, and that camaraderie we had together didn't stop. It still continues to this day.
Eckerd: After coaching at Greensboro, you both went your own ways coaching, and now you have circled back and are together again at Eckerd. What is it like being back together, and how did your time apart strengthen what you are doing here?
Moss: I think it was good because we needed to go and make of it our own. Like a kid going to college and getting away from their parents. Our "parent" being Coach Galuski, who we not only played for but worked for, so now we had to go find our own way, and then like a family we found our way back home. You know we didn't see this coming. We're where we want to be, we're excited and happy. It's a new location but the same mentality. It's got to be even more exciting for D[amian] since he's from this area to have this opportunity.
Dixon: Being able to come home and have an opportunity to coach in my hometown is very special to me. As far as us going in our own directions, it was bittersweet because we had such a special relationship. It was hard to venture off on your own, but I am a firm believer in things happen for a reason, and you know we have all had our own experiences over the past few years. Now we are back together and can bring those experiences together and get even better. It's like we never missed a beat.
Eckerd: You both coached Tilley, what type of player was he, and did you know he always wanted to be a coach?
Dixon: Tilley was great from the minute he walked in the door. Always a smile on his face and a high-energy guy. He was always that guy coming into a practice or game whatever it was he was always ready to go. He was a leader. He was one of those kids that you wanted him to be around everyone. I had no idea he wanted to coach after his playing career, but it was meant to be. He wants to be around the game and he has a positive influence on the entire program. I loved him as a player and even more now as a colleague.
Moss: The hardest thing to do just in general is to be consistent. More so as a person, it's hard to have the same emotions, passion, and energy every day and being who you are as a person no matter what. It's just hard, but for Tilley it comes easy. It's the same guy, I know what I'm going to get. I know how hard he's going to work and how bad he wants it and that is what makes Tilley stand out. I was also his admissions counselor at Greensboro as well, from there I could tell there was something about his spunk, passion, and energy and that it was consistent. It's hard to be happy and have energy when your having a bad day, but Tilley is able to do that and that's what coaches preach.
Eckerd: Tilley, what was it like playing for them and how did playing under them now translate to coaching along side them?
Tilley: I loved playing for them and I've always had respect for them. Even though I didn't play along side them, they were like brothers to me the way they cared and showed me the right way. Now coaching along side them, I'm excited. It's unbelievable, because they coached me and now we are working together, but I'm excited to learn even more from them as we'll be coaching together. Now I can see different things they would tell me when I was playing and I can see as a coach why they said and thought different things. Everybody doesn't have this opportunity to coach and be around people who genuinely love you and care about you.
Eckerd: You all have your own backgrounds and coaching styles; so, how are you going to bring that together and become one coaching staff and one unit?
Dixon: Right now its a transition period, like we talked about we all went our different direction and had different experiences and learned different things. We all have our individual ideas, but we have that foundation to respect and listen to each other and we are going to listen to each other to come up with the best decision for the program. There is going to be some time to get to learn the X's and O's, but if there is another coaching staff that is in the same position we are, I would say we have an upper leg because of our strong foundation. We already know what each other's thought processes are and how we are thinking. Covid has pushed us back from playing, but it has given us more time to think.
Moss: Due to Covid, it has actually been beneficial to us. Now we have time to revamp and prepare for a new level, new division, and new conference all which really matter in competing and winning games. So it's actually a blessing in disguise for our program, because there has been a lot of turn and with that usually comes quick adjusting. Now we have the time to really set in and understand what's happening. Our goal isn't only ot win games but it's to impact every student-athlete that comes though the Eckerd College basketball program.
Eckerd: Let's end on a fun one. Since you have history together, do you have a pregame handshake that goes back that fans should look for or maybe some celebrations?
Moss: Damian and I have had the same handshake since college. It'll look familiar to anyone who is familiar with a certain show in the 90's. It's a staple for us and Tilley can join in on it as well this year.
