Coach Cody Dixon
Pictures Courtesy of Cody Dixon
Hello I am Cody Dixon. I grew up in Southern California, and life wasn’t always smooth. There were times when stability was shaky and resources were tight, but I was lucky to have people who cared and stepped in when I needed it. When I discovered wrestling in high school, it gave me something I didn’t even realize I was missing: purpose, direction, and a place to put all my energy.
Wrestling didn’t just make me tougher; it taught me how to think strategically, how to push past my limits, and how to keep going even when the odds weren’t in my favor. I didn’t step on a wrestling mat until my freshman year, and my first season was rough—I barely won any matches. But something about the sport hooked me. I threw myself into it completely. Every summer, I wrestled 100-plus matches at any local or out-of-town tournament I could find. That grind was how I closed the gap on kids who had been wrestling their whole lives. By my senior year, I won the 2010 Southern Section Masters title, earned a spot at the California State Championships, and fought my way to the Round of 12. That experience shaped one of my core beliefs: it’s not where you start—it’s how far you’re willing to go.
Along the way, I heard all the reasons I couldn’t wrestle Division I: “You have to wrestle since you were a little kid.” “Only the best in the country make it.” “You have to win state and have perfect grades.” I didn’t check all those boxes. But at 17, I was recruited to walk on to the #2 nationally ranked Boise State wrestling team. From the first day, I treated every opportunity like it could be my last. I trained, lifted, studied, and worked jobs to support myself. One semester I was starting at 4:30 AM at McDonald’s before heading to weights, classes, practice, and then sometimes picking up a night shift. It paid off. I earned a scholarship with three years of eligibility left, became a four-year starter, served as team captain, graduated with my degree, and most importantly, met the love of my life along the way.
After college, before moving into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I started coaching. I’ve coached state champions, national champions, and athletes who went on to wrestle in college. Between wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu, I’ve competed in over 1,000 matches, won multiple IBJJF national titles, competed in ADCC trials, and stepped onto professional grappling stages. Coaching has always been a passion of mine, and I approach it with the same intensity I had as an athlete. I’ve coached at multiple levels, taught Jiu-Jitsu at the University of Nevada, Reno, and even worked in the corporate world for companies like AstraZeneca and USA Today, experiences that sharpened my leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Now, I’ve teamed up with Olympian Georgi Ivanov and his father to bring The Best Wrestler program to Reno. My mission is simple: help athletes become their best—in wrestling and in life. My athletes learn to embrace challenges, own their growth, and respect the grind. Winning matters—but the ultimate victory is becoming the best version of yourself.
Outside of coaching, I’m a proud husband to Amanda Dixon, a former Division I gymnast at Boise State who now coaches at Flips USA Gymnastics, the family-owned gym run by her mother and immediate family. Together, we’re raising two incredible kids, Kashton and Keeley, and spending as much time as possible in the gym, outdoors, or on some new adventure. Wrestling changed the course of my life. My mission now is to give young athletes that same opportunity—to show them that with hard work, grit, and belief, the “impossible” isn’t just possible… it’s within reach.