IU Indy Athletics

After serving as interim head coach of the IUPUI women’s tennis team for the 2012-13 season, Pat Nickell had the interim label removed from his title and will remain the head coach for the women’s tennis program, Director of Athletics Mike Moore announced in July 2013.

“In a short amount of time, Pat created a positive atmosphere within our women’s tennis program,” Moore said. “We are fortunate to have someone with Pat’s experience take over leadership of the women’s tennis program and we look forward to watching our women’s tennis program continue to grow and improve.”

“I am thankful to Mike Moore and the IUPUI Administration for having faith in me to lead the women’s tennis program,” Nickell said. “We made tremendous strides last year and I’m excited to continue to work with these ladies towards our goal of becoming Summit League Champions.”

As the interim head coach last season, Nickell helped the Jags earn five wins despite losing one of the team’s top players, Abbey Neff to a season-ending injury on Feb. 3.

Nickell also helped develop Bobbi Modesto into an All-Summit League performer during her rookie season with the Jags. Modesto led the Jaguars with 14 singles wins last season, and went 4-1 in Summit League play. Modesto started the season 4-0 in league singles action, before dropping her final match of the season playing at the top spot.

Nickell served as an assistant on the men’s team for seven years and helped the Jags to a Summit League regular-season co-championship in 2012 in addition to back-to-back conference championship match appearances in 2011 and 2012. Nickell also helped head men’s tennis coach Brandon Currie bring in the No. 16 Mid-Major recruiting class in 2012 according to tennisrecruiting.net.

Prior to IUPUI, Nickell spent four years as the head men's tennis coach at the University of Indianapolis from 2000-04. In his first season at UIndy, the Greyhounds won a school record 19 matches, while the squad boasted the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year. In 2001-02, he led the 'Hounds to their first-ever NCAA Division II national ranking, while leading the team to its second straight ITA All-Academic Team honor.

In 2003, UIndy earned an NCAA Tournament berth in its second year in the Division II polls. During his four years, Indianapolis compiled a 26-7 record in GLVC play.

From 1998-2000, Nickell served as the head men's and women's coach at Quincy University in Quincy, Ill. While there, he built the new Division II programs from the ground up, leading them to three straight GLVC tournament berths.

Nickell graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1982 with a degree in economics.