Barry Connors and a small committee have set up a day to honor former Andover coaching greats Dick Collins and Wil Hixon at halftime of the Golden Warriors’ football game against Lawence High next Friday, Oct. 12.
Collins, who coached football and track at Andover for 37 years, has been a teacher, coach and member of the school committee for 54 years. He won two Super Bowls as coach of the Golden Warriors in the 1970’s, and made it to another, was named National Track and Field Coach of the Year and is a member of both the Massachusetts Football Hall of Fame and Basketball Hall of Fame.
Hixon coached football and baseball at Andover, but is best remember for his legendary career as coach of the Golden Warrior basketball team. In 24 years at Andover (1959-60 to 1982-83) Hixon was 377-122, won the 1970 Eastern Mass. Class C championship and six straight Greater Lawrence Christmas Tournament
titles.
He won 469-146 in 30 years as a coach at Raymond (N.H.) High, Plymouth (N.H.) High and Andover High. He is a member of the Massachusetts Hall of Fame.
Andover will honor them for their work during the Lawrence game, and any alumni, friends, family or anybody who knows Collins or Hixon can meet at Dylan’s Restauarnt after the game to talk about memories.
Both coaches have a direct connection to the current Andover football team, as both coached current Golden Warriors head coach E.J. Perry. Perry was MVP of both the football team, the basketball team and he won the Class B State Title under Collins in track.
