Angie Nicholson Position: Head Coach Experience: 2nd Year Alma Mater: Cleveland State, '00

Angie Nicholson is happy to be home again. The 2000 Cleveland State graduate took over as head coach in the fall of 2006 and led CSU to a 33-14 record in her first year, recording the third highest win total in program history. Nicholson also led the Vikings to a second-place regular season finish in the Horizon League and was one inning away from winning the Horizon League Championship, earning a second place finish. Four Vikings earned All-Horizon League honors and two received academic league accolades under Nicholson in her first season as head coach. Nicholson, 33, rose quickly through the collegiate ranks, coaching seven seasons at four different institutions, including as the head coach at Horizon League member Butler in 2006. Her record of turning programs around is well-documented as she has guided Cuyahoga Community College and Ursuline to impressive reversals of fortune. The rapid changes have been due in part to the fact that her players have embraced her free-wheeling, pressure style offense, while flourishing in an easy-going (but hard-working) atmosphere that promotes team unity while allowing student-athletes to retain their individual identity. A native of Elyria, Ohio, Nicholson lettered four times in softball at CSU, earning All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference honors as both a junior and senior in 1999 and 2000. Used primarily at third base during her career, she battled a pair of knee surgeries to rank sixth in Viking history by playing 191 games, starting 187 times. A four-time recipient of an Athletic Academic Excellence Award during her CSU career, Nicholson graduated with a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 2000. Nicholson began her coaching career in 2001 as head coach of Tri-C, a position she held for four years. She was responsible to rebuilding the Challenger program, improving from 14 wins in 2001 to 30 in 2004. She posted a four-year mark of 94-64 (.595), mentoring 14 all-conference selections, five all-region honorees and eight academic all-conference representatives. Her final season at Tri-C was her best, as the 2004 squad won the regional championship and finished sixth in the Junior College World Series. A two-time Ohio Community College Athletic

Conference Coach of the Year recipient (2002 & 2004), Nicholson also earned National Junior College Athletic Association Region 12 Coach of the Year honors in 2004. Her teams made appearances in the regional tournament in three of her four seasons. While serving as the head coach at Tri-C, Nicholson was also a seventh grade teacher and volleyball coach in Cleveland. Nicholson left Tri-C in 2004 to become head coach at Ursuline College. Inheriting a team that won three games in 2004, she quickly turned the program around, guiding the team to a 26-17 record in 2005 and earning a spot in the conference playoffs and regional tournament. Four Arrows earned all-conference accolades in 2005, while two of these players also earned all-region honors. The softball team at Ursuline was the first UC program to have athletes earn conference and regional recognition. Nicholson also served as the cross country coach at Ursuline. Nicholson left Ursuline after just one season to become the head coach at Butler, guiding the Bulldogs to a 17-30-1 mark in her only season. Her impact on the program was a big one as her lone five-player recruiting class included Kristie Malinkey, who earned second team Louisville Slugger/NFCA High School All-America honors in 2006. Nicholson, who played at CSU as Angie McCall, is married to former Viking wrestler Richard Nicholson and the couple have three daughters, Taylor (6), Mackenzie (4) and Payton (2). The family resides in Berea, Ohio.