Angus Nicoson

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Angus Nicoson
Biographical details
Born(1919-09-30)September 30, 1919
DiedMay 1, 1982(1982-05-01) (aged 62)
Playing career
Basketball
1938–1942Indiana Central
1942–1944, 1945–1946Indianapolis Pure Oils
1944–1945Indianapolis Kautskys
1946–1947Indianapolis Secos
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1947–1976Indiana Central
Baseball
1946–1954, 1956–1958Indiana Central
Football
1947–1949, 1954Indiana Central
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1947–1976Indiana Central
Head coaching record
Overall21–12 (football)
483–279 (basketball)
128–67–2 (baseball)

Angus Jeffers Nicoson (September 30, 1919 – May 1, 1982) was an American football, basketball and baseball player and coach. He served as head basketball coach and athletic director at his alma mater, Indiana Central (today the University of Indianapolis), from 1947 to 1976. During this time, he spent 16 summers coaching the Indiana High School all-star basketball teams in the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Series (1952 through 1965, 1970, and 1971). He also served as head baseball coach at Indiana Central from 1946 to 1954 and 1956 to 1958, and as head football coach from 1947 through 1949 and for the 1954 season.[1][2][3]

Playing Career[edit]

Nicoson was born in Center Point, Clay County, Indiana, and attended Ashboro High School.[4] He entered Indiana Central in 1938 and graduated in the class of 1942. Three of his four college years overlapped with those of George Crowe (class of 1943), his co-star on teams coached by Harry Good. Nicoson and Crowe led Indiana Central to Indiana Intercollegiate Conference (IIC) basketball titles in 1940–41 and 1941–42, posting a 33–1 record over the two seasons. Nicoson earned all-IIC honors at guard in both seasons, and was named to the all-state collegiate team in 1941–42. During his senior year, he served as captain of both the basketball team and the baseball team.[5]

In an era in which pro basketball was dominated by independent and/or company-sponsored teams, Nicoson played professionally for the Indianapolis Pure Oils, the Indianapolis Kautskys, and the Indianapolis Secos. The 1942–43 and 1943–44 Pure Oils were among the best pro teams in the Midwest, and participated in the World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT) in Chicago at the end of both seasons. Nicoson averaged 13 points per game in WPBT contests.[6]

Coaching Career[edit]

Throughout his pro basketball career (1942–47), Nicoson was also employed as teacher, coach, and athletic director at Franklin Township High School (today Franklin Central High School) in the Indianapolis suburbs. His basketball teams there posted a 98–28 (.766) record over five seasons, winning two county and three district titles.[7]

After coaching Indiana Central's baseball team in the spring of 1946 and again in the spring of 1947, Nicoson returned to his alma mater full-time in the fall of 1947, to serve as physical education instructor and coach of most sports. In four seasons (1947–49 and 1954) his duties included coaching football, which he had not played on the collegiate level (because Indiana Central did not have the sport from 1932 through 1945); nevertheless, his four teams included two Hoosier College Conference (HCC) champions. He also continued to serve as head baseball coach in 10 of his next 11 years on the job, posting a .656 winning percentage en route to six HCC pennants. In 1949 he became athletic director, a position he held until his retirement. A master's degree from Indiana University (1952) offered further preparation for his administrative duties. By the late 1950s the college, and its athletic department, had finally grown to the point where he was able to focus his attention primarily on his roles as basketball coach and AD, but as late as the mid-1960s he also coached track and field.[8][9]

For most of Nicoson's coaching career at Indiana Central, the Greyhounds were members of the HCC and the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). His basketball teams won eight HCC championships and qualified for the NAIA postseason 15 times. They won the NAIA District 21 title and advanced to the national tournament in Kansas City six times (in 1948–49, 1955–56, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1966–67, and 1968–69). In his last years as head coach, Indiana Central became a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC), where the competition included Butler, Evansville, and Valparaiso, all of which would be Division I programs by the late 1970s. His Greyhounds held their own against the tougher schedule, but their days of conference titles and postseason play came to an end.[10]

Aside from his record at Indiana Central, Nicoson was also known for his success in coaching Indiana boys high school all-star basketball teams in their annual summer clashes against all-star teams from Kentucky. He coached 31 of 32 games in 16 of the annual home-and-home series (in the years 1952 through 1965, 1970, and 1971), posting a record of 19–12.[11]

Nicoson served as an assistant coach with the 1969 U.S. National Basketball team, which toured Europe and the Soviet Union.[12]

In December 1976, ill health forced Nicoson to step away from his coaching and administrative duties. He made his retirement official in February 1977. At the time, he was in the middle of his 30th season of coaching, and his 483 career victories ranked seventh among active college basketball coaches.[13][14] He died in May 1982, at the age of 62.

Honors and recognition[edit]

Nicoson was recognized as Hoosier College Conference coach of the year seven times and NAIA District 21 coach of the year three times.[15] After many years on the NAIA executive committee, he served as the organization's vice president for 1965–66 and president for 1966–67.[16] Honors included election to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (1977), the Helms Foundation Basketball Hall of Fame (1977), and the University of Indianapolis Athletics Hall of Fame (inaugural class, 1986). He received the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honor Award in 1977. The University of Indianapolis basketball arena, built in 1959–60 and still in use today, was renamed Nicoson Hall after his retirement.[17]

Head coaching record[edit]

Basketball[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Indiana Central Greyhounds (Hoosier College Conference) (1947–1970)
1947–48 Indiana Central 16–8 7–3
1948–49 Indiana Central 20–9 9–2 1st NAIA Nationals second round
1949–50 Indiana Central 19–9 10–4 NAIA District 21 third place
1950–51 Indiana Central 18–7 11–4 1st
1951–52 Indiana Central 20–10 9–5 NAIA District 21 finals
1952–53 Indiana Central 17–11 8–5 NAIA District 21 semifinals
1953–54 Indiana Central 15–8 8–4
1954–55 Indiana Central 10–16 5–7
1955–56 Indiana Central 23–6 9–3 1st NAIA Nationals first round
1956–57 Indiana Central 14–10 8–4
1957–58 Indiana Central 15–11 6–5
1958–59 Indiana Central 16–8 5–5
1959–60 Indiana Central 15–10 7–3 1st NAIA District 21 semifinals
1960–61 Indiana Central 18–8 7–3 NAIA District 21 finals
1961–62 Indiana Central 18–8 6–4 NAIA District 21 semifinals
1962–63 Indiana Central 18–7 8–2 1st NAIA District 21 semifinals
1963–64 Indiana Central 26–3 9–1 1st NAIA Nationals second round
1964–65 Indiana Central 17–6 9–1 1st NAIA District 21 semifinals
1965–66 Indiana Central 17–8 8–2 NAIA Nationals first round
1966–67 Indiana Central 18–10 10–2 1st NAIA Nationals first round
1967–68 Indiana Central 10–14 6–6
1968–69 Indiana Central 20–10 7–5 NAIA Nationals first round
1969–70 Indiana Central 15–11 6–6
Indiana Central Greyhounds (Independent) (1970–1972)
1970-71 Indiana Central 12–14
1971-72 Indiana Central 18–10 NAIA District 21 finals
Indiana Central Greyhounds (Indiana Collegiate Conference) (1972–1977)
1972-73 Indiana Central 15–8 7–4
1973-74 Indiana Central 15–11 5–7
1974-75 Indiana Central 14–10 8–4
1975-76 Indiana Central 13–13 6–6
1976-77 Indiana Central 1–5 + 0–0 + + retired December 1976
Indiana Central: 483-279 (.634)
Total: 483-279 (.634)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Baseball[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Indiana Central Greyhounds (Indiana Intercollegiate Conference) (1946–1947)
1946 Indiana Central 9–3
1947 Indiana Central 10–4–1
Indiana Central Greyhounds (Hoosier College Conference) (1948–1958)
1948 Indiana Central 11–6
1949 Indiana Central 11–5 1st
1950 Indiana Central 10–7
1951 Indiana Central 10–6–1
1952 Indiana Central 13–0 1st
1953 Indiana Central 11–8 1st
1954 Indiana Central 11–9 1st
1956 Indiana Central 12–4 1st
1957 Indiana Central 6–8
1958 Indiana Central 14–7 1st
Indiana Central: 128–67–2 (.655)
Total: 128–67–2 (.655)

Football[edit]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Indiana Central Greyhounds (Hoosier College Conference) (1947–1954)
1947 Indiana Central 7–1 6-1 1st
1948 Indiana Central 4–4 4-2
1949 Indiana Central 4–4 3-4
1954 Indiana Central 6–3 6-0 1st
Indiana Central: 21–12 (.636) 19-7 (.731)
Total: 21–12 (.636)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "UIndy Basketball History" (PDF). uindy.edu. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  2. ^ "Angus Nicoson". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  3. ^ Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Series, https://in.nhsbca.org/events/indiana-kentucky
  4. ^ "Angus J. (Nick) Nicoson," Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, https://indyencyclopedia.org/angus-j-nick-nicoson/
  5. ^ "Central's Nicoson Is Named NAIA President". Indianapolis Star. March 12, 1966. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  6. ^ "Angus Nicoson". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  7. ^ "Central's Nicoson Is Named NAIA President". Indianapolis Star. March 12, 1966. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  8. ^ "Central's Nicoson Is Named NAIA President". Indianapolis Star. March 12, 1966. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  9. ^ "Angus J. (Nick) Nicoson," Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, https://indyencyclopedia.org/angus-j-nick-nicoson/
  10. ^ 2006-07 University of Indianapolis Greyhounds Basketball Media Guide, page 46–47.
  11. ^ "Nicoson Retires". Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. February 28, 1977. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "Angus J. (Nick) Nicoson," Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, https://indyencyclopedia.org/angus-j-nick-nicoson/
  13. ^ "Nick Takes Leave From Hounds". Indianapolis Star. December 19, 1976. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  14. ^ "Nicoson Retires". Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. February 28, 1977. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  15. ^ "Angus J. (Nick) Nicoson," Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, https://indyencyclopedia.org/angus-j-nick-nicoson/
  16. ^ "Central's Nicoson Is Named NAIA President". Indianapolis Star. March 12, 1966. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "Angus J. (Nick) Nicoson," Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, https://indyencyclopedia.org/angus-j-nick-nicoson/

External links[edit]

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