LILBURN, Ga. (March 18, 2021) - The awards continue to roll in for the Elite Eight bound Central Missouri Jennies. Today the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Jennies Assistant Coach Mike Nicholson as the Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year.

This is the first National Assistant Coach of the Year award for the Jennies Basketball program. In recent years, Jennies coaches have been named MIAA and Regional Coach of the Year (Dave Slifer) and last year Assistant Coach Kenzie Kostas was named a WBCA 30 Under 30 award recipient. 

Nicholson has helped the Jennies to a 22-4 record thus far in 2020-21, leading them to their second Elite Eight appearance and regional championship in the four years (three tournaments held). The Jennies are among the leaders in the MIAA scoring 70.4 points per game and allowing 60. They are in the top-10 in blocked shots and lead the nation in free throw makes and attempts. 

This is Coach Nicholson's seventh season with the Jennies. In his time, he has led the Jennies to five NCAA regional tournament berths, two regional championships and one national championship. The Jennies have also won two MIAA regular season and one MIAA tournament championship with Nicholson on the bench. Central Missouri has a 160-52 record in seven years with Nicholson as a head coach and are 11-2 in NCAA postseason games. 

In addition to his role in games and at practice, Nicholson is the Jennies lead recruiter and is heavily involved on the academic side. This season, he revamped the team with seven freshmen, two of which made the All-Conference team and another who was the Most Valuable Player of the Central Region Tournament. Academically, Coach Nicholson manages study hall hours and UCM has earned 68 MIAA Academic Honor Roll honors in his seven years. 

Nicholson will bring the Jennies to their second Elite Eight in four years next week. The Jennies are the number five seed and will play No. 4 Belmont Abbey in the Elite Eight game Tuesday, March 23 at 7:45 p.m. CT.