Venezuela RPCV Dick Nicholl retires as football coach at Mercer Island High School after 31 seasons



Nicholl graduated with a degree in Spanish literature, joined the Peace Corps and volunteered in Venezuela for two years. He taught high-school Spanish for 34 years and also was an assistant coach for track and wrestling.

Venezuela RPCV Dick Nicholl retires as football coach at Mercer Island High School after 31 seasons

Mercer Island coach retires after 31 seasons

Feb 10, 2007

Seattle Times

Feb. 10--Dick Nicholl, the football coach at Mercer Island High School who is tied for most wins in KingCo Conference history, announced his retirement Friday.

Nicholl, who also coached at Centralia, finishes his head- coaching career with a 179-112-3 record in 31 years. He earned 158 wins at Mercer Island, tying Inglemoor's Frank Naish, who is still coaching.

"Thirty-one years is a long run. It's just time," Nicholl said. "It's a good chance for someone else to have the opportunity that I had.

"You could say I've touched a lot of lives, but really, it's the other way around. I've been really blessed by some great people."

Nicholl, 67, received a football scholarship to the University of Washington after a standout prep career at Bothell High School. After two years, he transferred to Western Washington, where he led the team in rushing in 1963 and was an All-Evergreen Conference selection.

He also set the WWU shot-put record at 49 feet, 11 inches.

Nicholl graduated with a degree in Spanish literature, joined the Peace Corps and volunteered in Venezuela for two years. He taught high-school Spanish for 34 years and also was an assistant coach for track and wrestling.

Nicholl, who has six grandchildren, said he could see himself as an assistant coach in the near future.

"I've got a lot of energy. I could go out there tomorrow and still do this," he said. "I would be happy coaching anywhere. I could coach fourth-graders at the park and love it."

Mercer Island athletic director Craig Olson described Nicholl as "the epitome of what high-school athletics and coaching should be all about.

"He never deviated from the philosophy that athletics was a vehicle for further development of character, leadership, cooperative group effort and striving for attainment of team goals," Olson said.

Michael Ko: 206-515-5653 or mko@seattletimes.com

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: February, 2007; Peace Corps Venezuela; Directory of Venezuela RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Venezuela RPCVs; Football; Sports; Washington

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