MC Sports Information and David Nichols Honored as Best in American Southwest Conference

Mississippi College Sports Information Director David Nichols receives award from peers with the American Southwest Conference. MC's Sports Information Department is voted the best in the Texas-based ASC in 2012-13.

David Nichols invests a great deal of energy and time promoting 15 NCAA sports at Mississippi College.

Whether interviewing student-athletes, producing sports media guides, keeping statistics or handling social media, Nichols is an incredibly hard worker year-round as MC’s sports information director.

His efforts are getting noticed. Mississippi College received honors in Dallas in early August as the winner of the American Southwest Conference Sports Information Department of the Year for 2012-13.

Peers of the Texas-based conference saluted the MC department and Nichols, who’s served as its dedicated leader the past three years.

An MC alumnus, Nichols feels blessed to be serving at his alma mater and says he’s thankful to be working with such a talented staff.

Making the ASC award possible, Nichols received assistance from graduate assistant Whitney Vance, director of broadcasting Reid Vance, photographer Aaron Boersma and student-assistant Brandon Spain during the 2012-13 academic year. David also oversees all game-day media operations, manages press boxes at home events and runs MC’s athletic website www.gochoctaws.com, among other things.

“It gives me great pleasure that the ASC recognizes the efforts of David Nichols,” said Athletic Director Mike Jones. “David and his staff work tirelessly to promote MC athletics and our student-athletes. They have raised our Sports Information Department to the highest level.”

Other colleagues say the award for Nichols and the MC sports information department is well-deserved.

“David works diligently to promote the accomplishments of Mississippi College’s student-athletes in all 15 sports to our fans and alumni,” said Reid Vance, a communication professor at the Baptist-affiliated school. “Most people don’t realize how many different media tasks are associated with his work: web development, print production, video, audio, photography and statistics.”

The hours on the job, Vance added, “are long and often inconvenient and the long road trips run from August to May, but David produces work all Choctaws can be proud of.”

As athletic director, Jones puts the Sports Information Department in a position to be successful, Vance said. “He gives David the resources and freedom needed to get the job done. “

Nichols served as a graduate assistant and No. 2 man in the Choctaws athletic department under MC sports information director Chris Brooks from 2006 to 2010. With a bachelor’s degree in 2006 and master’s in business administration in 2008 from Mississippi College, Nichols succeeded Brooks who stepped down to produce “Mississippi Gridiron” magazine. The publication focuses on high school and college football in the Magnolia State.

A Collierville, Tennessee native, Nichols quickly impressed people as the Choctaws sports information director. This past season, he was especially busy. He and his staff handled media duties for the Choctaws ASC cross country championships and the American Southwest Conference men’s soccer championship in Fall 2012. He provided coverage for 10 ASC tournament-qualifying teams, two conference title squads, two NCAA tournament participants and two All-Americans.

“David is the main cog in a big wheel of folks who are dedicated to Mississippi College and making it such a first-class organization,” says education professor Gerald Hasselman. He runs the clock at basketball games for the Choctaws men’s team at the A.E. Wood Coliseum, while Nichols keeps tabs on a sea of hoops statistics on the hardwood.

Rather than focusing on the award coming at the American Southwest Conference Sports Information Directors annual meeting on August 5, David Nichols has more pressing things on his plate. He’s got to finish putting together the football media guide and be part of a blitz of meetings as 178 MC football players arrive on the Clinton campus in mid-August. He’s working with Mississippi College coaches like Norman Joseph to produce a new Choctaws sports show hosted this fall by the restaurant 300 Jefferson in Olde Towne Clinton.

There are hundreds of new pictures to shoot of student-athletes, the annual Backyard Brawl with Millsaps to kickoff the MC football season on September 7, and so much more awaiting David Nichols and his team on and off the Clinton campus.

Away from his sports desk at the Golden Dome, Nichols and his wife, the former Tressie Smith, are Pearl residents. Tressie, who works at Lakeland Surgical Clinic in Jackson, cheers for the Blue and Gold. She received her bachelor’s and master’s in secondary education at Mississippi College.