Brent Nicoson, right, shown talking with Franklin graduate Ava Ray during the NCAA Division II championships, is leaving the University of Indianapolis to coach women’s golf at Grand Canyon University in Arizona.
Submitted photo
Faced with one of the biggest decisions of his life, Brent Nicoson sought advice from the home team.
Nicoson, the guiding force behind the University of Indianapolis women’s golf program since 2011, has accepted the same position at Grand Canyon University, a Division I school located in Phoenix. He succeeds former Lopes coach Lauren Giesecke, a native of Kokomo who stepped down after nine seasons
His son Ben and daughter Mia, graduates of Center Grove High School in 2019 and 2024, respectively, were called on to weigh the situation and provide input.
“I’ve never known anything but central Indiana,” said Nicoson, 52, a graduate of Beech Grove and UIndy. “Having everyone branch out is going to be kind of difficult, but Ben and Mia were part of this decision.
“They didn’t shy away from it.”
Timing is everything, and in Nicoson’s extremely busy universe, the opportunity to be at the forefront of a program (and school) continuing to grow in numbers as well as reputation, it was time to leave his alma mater — a place synonymous with the Nicoson surname.
Nicoson’s paternal grandfather, Angus Nicoson, coached men’s basketball and served as athletic director at then-Indiana Central University from 1947-76. His legendary career included stints as football and baseball coach as well.
Brent’s father, Dan, played football for the Greyhounds, eventually serving as an assistant coach. Ben Nicoson was part of the UIndy men’s basketball squad from 2019-23.
Brent Nicoson has done the family name proud and then some, starting with playing men’s golf for UIndy from 1992-94. As a coach, he guided the Greyhound women to Division II national championships in 2015, 2018 and the 2024 tournament in Winter Haven, Florida.
Nicoson doubled as the school’s men’s golf coach, a role he’s had since the 2006-07 school year.
“Coaching two teams was getting tougher and tougher, and it was very stressful for me to be able to get that accomplished. It was tough,” Nicoson said. “Grand Canyon called right after the national championship, and sold me pretty quickly on the vision of what they want in their women’s golf program.”
Nicoson exits his alma mater as one of the most decorated coaches in school history in any sport.
During his tenure, he won a combined 15 Great Lakes Valley Conference coach of the year honors, 16 conference championships, 10 regional crowns and the aforementioned national titles.
Nicoson also coached a total of 20 GLVC players of the year, 14 league freshmen of the year and 42 All-Americans.
Starting in the next couple of weeks, he’ll take that winning formula out west. Grand Canyon is coming off a season in which it placed third at the Western Athletic Conference tournament.
Nicoson’s consistent success throughout his time at UIndy included much more than the ability to recruit talented golfers.
“It’s not just about golf. It’s my ability to see them as people first, and develop that trust,” Nicoson said. “I think that trust is built during the recruiting process. I try to hold them accountable across the board.
“That’s a goal of mine, to have as much of an impact on the players as people, and not just as a golfer.”
