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Army has turned to a native New York son and Southern Tier legend to head its thriving wrestling program.
Troy Nickerson first made his mark at Chenango Forks when he became the state's first five-time state champion in 2005 and then won an NCAA title with Cornell University in 2009 and was a three-time All-American with the Big Red.
At West Point, Nickerson has found a job closer to his family and roots, continuing a coaching journey that started in 2012 when he became an assistant at Iowa State. He has held the top job at Northern Colorado for the past 11 seasons.
When Army head coach Kevin Ward recently departed for an assistant’s job with Oklahoma State, Nickerson knew he wanted a return to the Empire State and to continue to build on the success Ward had with the Black Knights. The hiring process was quick, and Nickerson was introduced to the media in a conference call on June 10. He is the 10th head coach in Army's 104-year team history.
“I’m truly, truly honored and humbled to be named … head wrestling coach at Army West Point,’’ said Nickerson, who was awarded the Press & Sun-Bulletin Athlete of the Year a record four times. “The West Point opportunity was kind of too good to be true.
“When this job became available, it was something that immediately was of high interest to me. For the longest time, I’ve had the utmost respect for West Point, these cadets and what they do … the rigors that they go through.’’
Nickerson was pleased with the commitment the Academy has shown toward the wrestling program.
“They want to win, and I want to win,’’ he said. “The previous coaching staff did an excellent job of setting this thing up for success, and I am just excited to take it to that next level.’’
Army has a strong run of producing conference champions and national qualifiers, and despite graduations, he believes “this might be the best West Point team coming up that we’ve seen in the past 20 years.’’
"As an alumnus, I could not be more excited to welcome Troy as our new head coach,'' said three-time Army All-American Phillip Simpson. "Kevin Ward leaves behind a legacy of success and momentum, and I have full confidence that Troy will build on that foundation while pushing the program to even greater heights.
"His competitive drive and leadership align perfectly with our warrior ethos. He brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success.''
Nickerson was just 27 years old when he took over at Northern Colorado.
“I probably thought I knew everything,’’ he mused, “and I didn’t. I’ve learned along the way. I’ve learned how to run a successful program.’’
He said having a full wrestling coaching and support staff is also a blessing, allowing everyone to focus on their individual jobs.
Nickerson believes the warrior ethos that West Point cadets naturally possess lends itself well to the wrestling room.
“Wrestling is a very unique sport where I think a lot of the character traits that West Point is instilling in these cadets directly translate into successful wrestlers: the discipline; the character; the work ethic,’’ he said. "I think that’s what makes wrestlers special. … (These cadets) know fully what they signed up for, and they embrace the grind, they embrace the challenge. And I think being able to do hard things in life makes you a better person.’’
At Northern Colorado, Nickerson said his recruiting was focused on the Rocky Mountains, but now he is eager to renew his acquaintances on the East coast, recruit more nationally and continue to build on a brand as America’s wrestling team.
“I took this job because I think we can win at the highest level,’’ Nickerson said. “I think winning comes in various, different forms. Primarily, I’m looking for our cadet-athletes to reach their potential – whatever that is. For some guys it’s going to be getting into the starting lineup. For some guys it’s going to be winning a conference championship. For others, going to and winning a national championship. … I want them to reach that potential, and that would be success to me.’’
At Northern Colorado, Nickerson coached six All-Americans and 37 NCAA tournament qualifiers.
[email protected]
X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Army wrestling coach Troy Nickerson returns closer to home in NY
Continue reading...
Troy Nickerson first made his mark at Chenango Forks when he became the state's first five-time state champion in 2005 and then won an NCAA title with Cornell University in 2009 and was a three-time All-American with the Big Red.
At West Point, Nickerson has found a job closer to his family and roots, continuing a coaching journey that started in 2012 when he became an assistant at Iowa State. He has held the top job at Northern Colorado for the past 11 seasons.
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When Army head coach Kevin Ward recently departed for an assistant’s job with Oklahoma State, Nickerson knew he wanted a return to the Empire State and to continue to build on the success Ward had with the Black Knights. The hiring process was quick, and Nickerson was introduced to the media in a conference call on June 10. He is the 10th head coach in Army's 104-year team history.
“I’m truly, truly honored and humbled to be named … head wrestling coach at Army West Point,’’ said Nickerson, who was awarded the Press & Sun-Bulletin Athlete of the Year a record four times. “The West Point opportunity was kind of too good to be true.
“When this job became available, it was something that immediately was of high interest to me. For the longest time, I’ve had the utmost respect for West Point, these cadets and what they do … the rigors that they go through.’’
Nickerson was pleased with the commitment the Academy has shown toward the wrestling program.
“They want to win, and I want to win,’’ he said. “The previous coaching staff did an excellent job of setting this thing up for success, and I am just excited to take it to that next level.’’
Army has a strong run of producing conference champions and national qualifiers, and despite graduations, he believes “this might be the best West Point team coming up that we’ve seen in the past 20 years.’’
"As an alumnus, I could not be more excited to welcome Troy as our new head coach,'' said three-time Army All-American Phillip Simpson. "Kevin Ward leaves behind a legacy of success and momentum, and I have full confidence that Troy will build on that foundation while pushing the program to even greater heights.
"His competitive drive and leadership align perfectly with our warrior ethos. He brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success.''
Nickerson was just 27 years old when he took over at Northern Colorado.
“I probably thought I knew everything,’’ he mused, “and I didn’t. I’ve learned along the way. I’ve learned how to run a successful program.’’
He said having a full wrestling coaching and support staff is also a blessing, allowing everyone to focus on their individual jobs.
You must be registered for see images
Nickerson believes the warrior ethos that West Point cadets naturally possess lends itself well to the wrestling room.
“Wrestling is a very unique sport where I think a lot of the character traits that West Point is instilling in these cadets directly translate into successful wrestlers: the discipline; the character; the work ethic,’’ he said. "I think that’s what makes wrestlers special. … (These cadets) know fully what they signed up for, and they embrace the grind, they embrace the challenge. And I think being able to do hard things in life makes you a better person.’’
At Northern Colorado, Nickerson said his recruiting was focused on the Rocky Mountains, but now he is eager to renew his acquaintances on the East coast, recruit more nationally and continue to build on a brand as America’s wrestling team.
“I took this job because I think we can win at the highest level,’’ Nickerson said. “I think winning comes in various, different forms. Primarily, I’m looking for our cadet-athletes to reach their potential – whatever that is. For some guys it’s going to be getting into the starting lineup. For some guys it’s going to be winning a conference championship. For others, going to and winning a national championship. … I want them to reach that potential, and that would be success to me.’’
At Northern Colorado, Nickerson coached six All-Americans and 37 NCAA tournament qualifiers.
[email protected]
X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Army wrestling coach Troy Nickerson returns closer to home in NY
Continue reading...
