McPherson College Director of Athletics Andrew Ehling has announced that Josh Nichols has been selected to direct the college’s women’s basketball program. He replaces Gordon Reimer, who retired in April after five seasons.
Nichols comes to McPherson after three seasons as Head Women’s Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director for Native American Recruiting at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he has directed the Warriors to 36 wins and three straight Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) postseason berths. The 2017-2018 team went 16-14 overall for the program’s first winning season since 2010. Under his guidance, six players received All-Sooner Athletic Conference honors. Nichols’ teams were also successful in the classroom, maintaining a team GPA over 3.0 the last three years, while two individuals earned Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.
Prior to that, Nichols spent four years as the lead assistant for the Bacone men’s program – helping to recruit and coach Matt Qualls to NAIA Division I All-America honors in 2014-15 after leading the country in scoring at 26 points per game.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Josh join the Bulldog family,” Ehling said. “His work ethic and basketball IQ will not only help elevate our women’s basketball program but will benefit our student-athletes as they work to earn their degree.”
Before returning to his native Oklahoma, Nichols spent five seasons as the head men’s assistant at Iowa Wesleyan College (now University) in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. During his tenure, the Tigers reached two NAIA Division II National Championships and had two players earn NAIA Division II All-America honors. Nichols has also spent time as a men’s assistant at Johnson County Community College (2004-2006) in Overland Park, Kansas, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University (2002-2004) in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He also served as a counselor at the Eddie Sutton Basketball Camp during the summers of 2000 and 2001.
As a player, Nichols played two seasons at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, earning a letter and the Outstanding Hustle Award both years. He helped NOC-Tonkawa qualify for the 2000 NJCAA Division I National Tournament. Nichols concluded his career at Oklahoma Wesleyan, again lettering twice and serving as captain on the Eagles’ 2002 NCCAA National Tournament squad.
A native of Blackwell, Oklahoma, and a member of the Chickasaw Nation, Nichols served as athletic director for the Oklahoma Indian All-State Basketball Game from 2011 to 2015 and helped found the Oklahoma Native All-State Association in 2016. He earned a Bachelor of Science in history and social science with a minor in psychology from Oklahoma Wesleyan in 2003 and a Master of Liberal Arts with a concentration in history from Baker University in 2005.
Nichols and his wife DeAnn have two children – Luke and Katie.
Photo Courtesy McPherson Athletics
Tagged with: KCAC NAIA
