Honoring a legend: Northside hosts first annual Nix 7v7 camp

The first annual Coach Nix 7v7 camp was held at Northside on Monday honoring Conrad Nix, the winningest football coach in Northside Eagles history.

Nix spent 24 total seasons as the Eagles’ head coach. His first stint at Northside was from 1973 to 1980, then Nix returned in 1994 and stayed until retiring after the 2009 season.

As Northside’s head coach, Nix won back-to-back state championships (went 15-0 in 2006 and 2007) and never coached a losing season, finishing with a combined record of 260-65. In each of his final 12 seasons, Nix never won less than 10 games.

Though Nix hasn’t coached in over a decade, his impact on football in the Middle, Ga. area continues to thrive through his former staff, who are all current head coaches in the area.

“Coach Nix just meant so much, not only to Northside, but everybody that’s coached for him,” said Northside head coach Chad Alligood. “He’s such a big influence. I told the players today, you may not have been physically coached by Coach Nix, but you’ve been coached by him in your years because we all do things the way he taught us.”

Alligood was a former assistant coach under Nix and sparked the idea of hosting the Nix 7v7 camp with other former assistant coaches under Nix.

Houston County head coach Ryan Crawford, Perry head coach Kevin Smith, Bleckley County head coach Von Lassiter and Jones County head coach Mike Chastain all have been on Nix’s staff at one point in time.

In 2004, Chastain, Alligood and Smith were assistant coaches on the same staff and in 2007, Smith, Crawford and Lassiter were on the same staff.

Each head coach was on board with the idea of honoring Nix and brought their teams out to enjoy the day.

“Back in January, I was just sitting in my office thinking of all the (current) head coaches that had coached here with Coach Nix,” said Alligood about the culmination of the Nix 7v7 camp. “Every time we talk we all sound a little like Coach Nix. So I just brainstormed with those guys and asked if we put this on, would they come? Everybody said whatever date it is it doesn’t matter, let’s do it. It kind of took off from there.”

In the early 1990’s, Nix was one of the pioneers of hosting 7v7 football in the Middle, Ga. area and the trend grew from there.

Since 1994, when Nix returned as Eagles’ head coach, Northside has annually hosted a popular 7v7 camp where 16 teams participate. It’s an event driven for players to get in as many reps as possible, so it’s not a tournament style 7v7.

The Coach Nix 7v7 camp is on a much smaller scale and intended to keep Nix’s name around so it’s never forgotten.

“I don’t want his name to go anywhere,” said Alligood on the camp’s purpose. “I want people to understand who he is, what he meant to a lot of people because he’s a special human being. We wanted to do something just a little bit more special to honor him, that’s why we have this one with only head coaches that have coached here with Nix.

“This will be a yearly thing. Normally we wouldn’t throw against Houston County in the summer since we play against them, but everybody here knew the main thing was to honor Coach Nix. He’s been enjoying it and that’s what it’s all about.”

HHJ News