My unofficially official predictions for the MLB season
April 2, 2014
Nicholls baseball relying on quality pitching
April 2, 2014
The Nicholls football team has two new football coaches – both assigned to coach the team’s linebackers.
Nicholls football coach Charlie Stubbs announced this week that Charles Boyd and Jake Olsen have been hired to round out the team’s staff for the 2014 season.
Boyd will serve as the team’s inside linebackers, while Olsen will coach outside linebackers. The move shifts Colonels’ linebackers coach Brandon Nowlin to Nicholls’ defensive line coach. Nowlin will take over for former defensive line coach Brandon Washington, who took a coaching position at Temple University.
“We are very excited about the structure of our defense that we are able to do this year,” Stubbs said upon announcing the hiring. “Having five coaches now on that side of the ball (is a plus).”
Boyd comes to Thibodaux with experience coaching in the Big 10. The new Colonels coach spent the past two seasons coach at Indiana University, serving as the Hoosiers special teams quality control coach. Under Boyd’s watch, the Hoosiers ranked first in the Big 10 in kickoffs, second in punt returns and also had an all-conference kicker.
Prior to his time at Indiana, Boyd served as the special teams quality control coach at Cincinnati.
He was a two-time NAIA All-American linebacker at Urbana University, leading his team in tackles for three seasons. Boyd finished his playing career as a halfback for Miami (Ohio).
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be here at Nicholls,” Boyd said. “I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to be part of the program. I’m looking forward to helping our defense improve so we can be one of the top teams in the conference.”
Stubbs said he’s happy to have Boyd on his staff, touting the young coach’s ability to interact with players.
“Charles was an excellent player,” Stubbs said. “He is a good man and a good teacher. He was a lot of expertise in the linebacker area, and he’ll be an integral part of our special teams, as well.”
Olsen lands in Thibodaux after serving as the defensive line coach for his alma mater, Valley City State in North Dakota.
While coaching the defensive line, Olsen also helped with recruiting, academic supervising and strength and conditioning within the program.
Olsen was a four-year letterwinner for Valley City State, serving as the Vikings’ team captain in his senior season.
He lands in Thibodaux after interacting with Nicholls assistant coach Chuck Hepola during the past summer – a bond that ended in the two now sharing the same staff.
“Jake is a great young coach,” Stubbs said. “Coach Chuck Hepola met him through working camps over the summer, and I’m excited we were able to get him to come here.”
The new coach said he’s excited for the opportunity to coach in the Southland Conference, adding that he relishes the challenge of turning around the Colonels program.
“I’m very excited to join Coach Stubbs and his staff,” Olsen said. “I had the chance to get to know Coach Hepola over the summer and I think very highly of him. I think we can build something special here. I think we have a lot of the right pieces player-wise, and coaching-wise. I’m excited to get to work with everyone and learn from them.”
The moves completed the Nicholls staff as the team opened its spring football practices this week.
The Colonels will have 11 practices and two scheduled scrimmages over the next two weeks.
The team’s spring game is set for April 12 at 9 a.m. at John L. Guidry Stadium.
Nicholls will open its 2014 football season against Air Force on Aug. 30.
One week later, the Colonels will play Arkansas.
