Jeff Nickerson Named Presbyterian College Softball Coach
July 25, 2003

Courtesy Presbyterian College Sports Information Office

CLINTON, S.C. - Jeff Nickerson, a 1998 graduate of Cortland State University, has been named as the school's fifth head coach of the softball program announced today by PC Director of Athletics Bee Carlton. Nickerson succeeds Barbara Dearing who served as head coach for the last two seasons prior to stepping down as head coach after the 2003 season.

Nickerson, a native of Friendship, New York, has spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Ohio Northern University Polar Bears softball program in Ada, Ohio. During his tenure at Ohio Northern, he has built the softball program from one with a losing season his first year to recording two straight 20-win seasons in 2002 and 2003. He got his start at ONU as an assistant coach during the 2000 season before being named interim head coach in 2001. He assumed the full-time position after the 2001 season. Among his other duties with the Polar Bears has been serving as assistant coach for the women's soccer team and is an instructor in ONU's department of health, physical education, and sports studies.

"We are very excited to add a head coach the caliber of Jeff Nickerson to our athletic department," said Carlton. "Jeff is a proven winner that will be a great addition to our department and we look forward to great things ahead for the softball program."

This past season his team won 26 games against 13 losses and finished fifth in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 9-9 mark. In addition, two of his players earned all-conference honors and one was named to Verizon Academic All-District team.

Prior to his tenure at Ohio Northern, Nickerson as an assistant coach at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio in 1999 and he got his start in coaching at his alma mater, Cortland State University, in 1997-98.

"My family and I are very excited about this opportunity to coach at Presbyterian College," said Nickerson. "I truly believe that I am stepping into a great environment and I hope to be able to elevate the softball program into a nationally recognized team."

Nickerson graduated cum laude from Cortland State University in Cortland, New York with a Bachelors of Science degree in Physical Education in 1998. He earned his Masters in Developmental Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Education in 2001 from Bowling Green University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Nickerson is married to the former Mindy Dye from Ada, Ohio and couple have two children, Chelsea (10) and Jordan (8).