Release and photo courtesy of the American Southwest Conference
RICHARDSON, Texas –– Mississippi College was voted by its peers as the winner of the
American Southwest Conference Sports Information Department of the Year award for the 2012-13 academic season. MC was honored on Monday (Aug. 5) during the annual ASC SID meeting at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas.
Mississippi College's
sports information director is David Nichols, who has served in that capacity for the past three years. 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 year.
Nichols, a Collierville, Tenn., native, received his bachelor's degree in in 2006 and master's degree in 2008 – both in business administration from Mississippi College. He worked as a graduate assistant in the Choctaws' athletic department from 2006 to 2010. Nichols, who works with all of MC's 15 sports, oversees all game-day media operations, manages press boxes at home events and coordinates the production of media guides and game programs. He also runs MC's athletic website,
www.gochoctaws.com, and handles all social media outlets.
Nichols is an active member in College of Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and is a national Top 25 voter for women's basketball. He served as chair of the ASC Sports Information Directors for the 2010-11 academic year.
"It gives me great pleasure that the ASC recognizes the efforts of David Nichols," Mississippi College Athletic Director Mike Jones said. "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."
In 2012-13, Nichols and his staff handled the media duties for the ASC Cross Country Championships and ASC Men's Soccer Championship. He provided coverage for 10 ASC tournament-qualifying teams, two conference title squads, two NCAA tournament participants and two all-Americans.
The ASC Sports Information Department of the Year award is presented by following voting by the membership's SID's. All departments are eligible for the honor. The 2012-13 award is the fifth in the history of the NCAA Division III league. Texas Lutheran (Tim Clark and Patrick Zarate) took the inaugural honor in 2008-09, followed by Mary Hardin-Baylor (Jon Wallin), Hardin-Simmons (Chad Grubbs) and The University of Texas at Dallas (Bruce Unrue and Dave Wester).
| ALL-TIME ASC SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR WINNERS |
| Academic Year |
School (Staff) |
| 2012-13 |
Mississippi College (David Nichols) |
| 2011-12 |
The University of Texas at Dallas (Bruce Unrue, Dave Wester) |
| 2010-11 |
Hardin-Simmons University (Chad Grubbs) |
| 2009-10 |
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Jon Wallin) |
| 2008-09 |
Texas Lutheran University (Tim Clark, Patrick Zarate) |