For 14 years beginning in 1954, Montgomery County residents saw a familiar sight every year at tournament time. Fans of the Dixie High School Greyhounds traveled together with wooden greyhound cutouts mounted on top of their cars.  They were followers of the perennially-strong teams coached by Columbus Hines, a colorful Kentucky native who built a powerhouse at the small school in New Lebanon.

Under Hines, Dixie had a 277-57 record, winning an incredible 83 percent of its games. Hines previously had great success coaching one year at Lykins in Crawford County (21-4) and eight years at West Elkton in Preble County (175-40).  Dixie won Ohio Class A championships in 1962 and 1966 after Hines’ 1958 team was derailed in the state semifinals. Two of the Dixie stars – Gary Gearhart and Al Peters – played for Ohio State University. Hines’ Dixie teams were still going strong when he died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 58 on July 28, 1968.

Columbus Hines spent 21 years as a head Basketball Coach and won 406 games while losing 105 games. His former wife, Mrs. Fannie Barger, lives in Middletown Ohio.