Nicola comes to CBU after assistant coaching jobs at Cumberland University and at the University of Central Missouri. He also held coaching jobs at a pair of Indiana high schools – Bloomington South and Culver Academies.
“Andrew is very good in the areas we are looking to improve,” said Zalesky, who now has two assistant coaches in Nicola and Arsen Aleksanyan. “He is well connected to the national wrestling community and has a very good understanding of the things we need to do to bring our team up another level.”
It is a task Nicola is excited to take on at CBU.
"I am very excited to work with Coach Zalesky and Coach Aleksanyan,” Nicola said. “These two coaches have a wealth of knowledge and are proven winners. I have so much to learn about the sport and about coaching, and I am confident that these are the two that I want mentoring me. They lead by example in every facet of their lives. I am eager to help bring CBU wrestling to national prominence."
Cumberland posted a number of program-best performances over the last two years with Nicola on board. He was responsible for running practices, teaching technique and handling recruiting for the Bulldogs, as well as arranging travel and assisting with scheduling. He also handled ordering gear for the squad, monitoring student-athlete grades and class attendance, along with organizing community service and support activities for the team.
The Bulldogs enjoyed their highest-ever finishes at the NAIA Championships (sixth), National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals (third) and NWCA Academic All-American Team standings (fourth) in 2013-14. They also had six wrestlers earn All-American honors after the program had just 11 in its previous 16 seasons, with a NAIA National Champion and runner up.
Nicola also holds coaching experience at the international level as a USA Wrestling Silver Certified coach, serving on the Indiana National Team coaching staff over the last 12 years. He was a Team USA Senior World Team Coaching Ambassador in 2013, traveling to Budapest, Hungary for the World Championships. In 2012, Nicola was named the 2012 Indiana Cadet/Junior Coach of the Year
"[President] Dr. Ronald Ellis, [Vice President] Kent Dacus and [Director of Athletics] Dr. Micah Parker have blessed me with a great opportunity to join the CBU family,” Nicola said. “The school is growing and is very invested in the athletic programs. The school support and community support are second to none, and this will -- without a doubt -- be a great place for me."
Nicola is a Fort Wayne, Ind. native, where his family and two brothers – Adam and Daniel – still reside. He is currently working on completing his second master’s degree in education from Cumberland, which is scheduled to be completed in December. He earned his first master’s degree in athletic and sport business administration in 2012 from Central Missouri. In 2008, he finished his bachelor’s degree in biology from Indiana.
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