San Diego Athletics

Michael "Nico" Nicholson enters his 21st season with the San Diego men's soccer program, and his second serving as the team's associate head coach. He originally joined the program as an assistant under former head coach Seamus McFadden in 2005.

In his USD tenure, he has helped the Toreros win six WCC championships and reach the NCAA Tournament five times.

During Nicholson's time with the Toreros he has helped establish the program's winning culture which included the program's third straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024. San Diego reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since the 2012 season as the Toreros defeated UC Davis and Duke in postseason play. As the team collected 15 wins in 2024, the Toreros went 7-1 in conference play for their third straight West Coast Conference title. Nicholson was a key piece leading the roster as USD earned the conference's Goalkeeper of the Year, four All-WCC First Team picks, an All-WCC Second Team selection, two All-WCC Honorable Mentions and a pair of All-WCC Freshmen Team picks. 

Nicholson helped orchestrated one of the best seasons in program history in 2023. After the Toreros were selected to finish seventh in the WCC Preseason Poll, USD went a perfect 6-0-1 in conference play to secure the WCC Championship and advance to its first NCAA appearance since 2014. San Diego lost just twice in its last 15 matches (8-2-5), and finished undefeated in WCC play for just the second time in program history (first since 2000). The Toreros outscored opponents 17-4 in WCC play. Nicholson helped guide the team to two All-Region selections, the WCC Defender of the Year, the WCC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, the WCC Freshman of the Year, and 13 total All-WCC selections. Not surprisingly, USD earned United Soccer Coaches West Region Coaching Staff of the Year. 

Prior to joining the Toreros, Nicholson was as an assistant coach for the UCSD women's soccer program from 1994 to 2005. During his stint with UCSD, the Tritons captured six national championships (three NCAA Division II and three at Division III).

In addition to his 29 years of coaching at the collegiate level, Nicholson has extensive experience coaching club soccer. From 2003 to 2005, he served as the director of the Temecula/Murrieta Soccer Club and from 1998 to 2003, he was the head boy's coach for the San Diego Surf. Many of the club teams at the Surf achieved regional and state success and many of his players were placed on national teams. In 1994, he coached the Nomads Boy's Under 16 club that won a national championship. 

Fueling his coaching background is his playing experience. Nicholson spent time with the United Systems of Independent Soccer League, a men's semi-professional league. He played three seasons for the San Diego Top Guns from 1993 to 1995 and guided his team to the regional finals in 1994 and 1995. 

Nicholson graduated from the University of Leeds in England, where he earned a degree in Sports Science in 1989. He captained his soccer team to the national finals in 1989 and his team won the national championship in 1986.