Eastfield Names Nickel as Volleyball Coach
Phil Nickel has been named the head volleyball coach at Dallas College Eastfield.
Nickel has 26 years of experience coaching at the collegiate and club levels.
"I am super excited about the opportunity to lead the Eastfield volleyball program," Nickel said. "I really want to thank (Dallas College Executive Athletic Director) Sadiaa Jones and (Eastfield Athletic Director) Anthony Fletcher for trusting me to help write the next chapter for the volleyball program. The Eastfield campus has a strong athletic tradition, and I look forward to building on the foundation that Coach (Brandon) Crisp and others have established for the volleyball program."
Nickel, who has served as the head coach and recruiting coordinator at Drive Nation Volleyball Club in Irving for the past year, took over for Crisp, who accepted the head coaching position at Lamar University.
"We're happy to have someone like Coach Nickel, and someone with his experience," Jones said. "We're looking forward to working with him, and what he has to bring to Dallas College volleyball and the Eastfield campus."
Prior to his time with Drive Nation, Nickel coached Houston Juniors Volleyball Club from 2019-21, following a five-year stint as the director of Fort Bend Fire/Club Catalyst Volleyball in the Houston area.
From 2008-14, Nickel served as the head coach Wayne State University, an NCAA Division II school in Detroit. He guided the Warriors to a 94-78 record and five straight trips to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in his six seasons. There, he coached two All-Americans and seven all-region selections. Nickel was the lead assistant coach at the University of Houston from 2002-08. Prior to that, he was the lead assistant coach at Illinois State University from 2000-02. Before his time in Normal, Illinois, where the Redbirds were among the nation's leaders in attendance, he served two seasons as an assistant coach at Wright State University.
Before moving on to the NCAA Division I level, Nickel was the head coach at Thomas More College, an NCAA Division III institution in Crestview, Kentucky, from 1996-98. His 1997 Saints team advanced to the second round of the NCAA DIII Tournament, and maintained the 15th highest attendance in the nation.
He's also coached club volleyball in Houston and Bloomington, Illinois.
"I'm ecstatic that Coach Nickel will be our next volleyball head coach," Fletcher said. "We had several very strong candidates that had great interviews, but the NCAA experience that Coach Nickel has was unmatched in this national search. I look forward to continuing the tradition of success at Dallas College Eastfield Volleyball and Athletics."
Eastfield will host Southwestern Christian College in a pair of matches Wednesday beginning at 5 p.m. The Harvester Bees host Weatherford College for two more matches 4 p.m. Friday.
"I've had some excellent mentors, whom I can't thank enough in helping me develop as a coach," Nickel said. "And I've coached players who are playing all over the country, but I can't wait to get in the gym with this team, and help them achieve their goals. Helping young people develop as players, students and young adults is what keeps me going. I'm excited to build the Harvester Bee program into a perennial powerhouse."