General 8/25/2022 7:45:00 AM

Where Are They Now? - Clay Nicks (Cross Country)

Dr. Clay Nicks did double-duty for Lipscomb athletics. Competing in NAIA Nicks qualified out of District 24 to make three trips to the NAIA Nationals in cross country in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He also ran track. He would later serve as a volunteer coach for Lynn Griffith before taking over the track and cross-country programs in 2000 as the Bisons were making the transition to NCAA Division I. Women's indoor and outdoor track and cross country were added during his coaching tenure which ended in 2005. He has been working for the past 17 years at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. He took some time out from his busy schedule to speak with Lipscombsports.com.

Name and sports played:

Clay Nicks. Cross country and track and field.

What years did you compete for Lipscomb, and who coached you?

I participated from 1990 through 1993. They didn't have track my senior year in 1994. Kent Johnson was the head coach.

What teammates were most memorable, and why?

I wouldn't want to single out one or two people. We had a really close-knit team. We all supported each other. We had a lot of fun together.

What degrees have you earned, from where, and when?

B.S. from Lipscomb University in 1994 in exercise science.

M. A. in Education from Lipscomb University in 1998.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in exercise science in 2005.

Why did you attend Lipscomb?

I had an opportunity to run cross country and track there. There were a lot of reasons, but that was a key factor. Also, at the time I was interested in sports medicine, and I ended up with minor in sports medicine. They had a good sports medicine program at Lipscomb. Chris Snoddy was running it at the time. Those are the two main reasons.

What is your favorite athletic memory at Lipscomb?

The road trips together. The training runs together. The practices. Hanging out in the dorm. We spent a lot of time together mornings and afternoons. It was all of those things combined.

In terms of meets we were in District 24. We put a lot of emphasis on the district meet and tried to qualify for the NAIA National meet. I was fortunate to do that in cross country my sophomore, junior and senior years. Those were good times.

Who influenced your athletic career at Lipscomb?

Coach Johnson was a one-man show. He coached me all four years. He was approachable. We respected him. When I think back to what he had to do coaching and teaching classes I am impressed. He and his wife, Susan, would have us over for pancake breakfasts. They did all of that while raising three kids. All of those things combined to make it a good experience. He went the extra mile to make sure we had a really good environment.

My teammates I had, especially when I was younger. The older guys were good leaders and they made sure everybody felt included. They set the tone so when I became older I wanted to pass that on to the younger guys.

What do you remember about Lipscomb campus life during your time here?

Dorm life was fun. We had a lot of fun in High Rise. There were a lot of pranks and a lot of laughs.

And there were things like concerts on campus. I worked a lot at part-time jobs so I wasn't as involved with campus life as much as I could have been. I worked at Kroger in the seafood department, and I worked at Fox's Donut Den. A lot of the cross country and track guys worked at the Donut Den. I was a cook. I usually came in from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. or 10 p.m. to midnight.

What is the most valuable lesson you learned in your time at Lipscomb?

I would say learning to think critically. That is a skill you want to have. You don't want to just memorize things. You want to look at things critically and analyze them. College allows you to do that in the classroom and in conversations outside the classroom.

Who were your favorite professors and why?

I was really fortunate in the exercise science program. We had a really solid program. We had Kent Johnson, Ruth Henry, Lynn Griffith and Trish Duty. All of them had unique styles of teaching. In my teaching I havetaken what I liked best about their styles and infused them into my teaching.

I also had Jeff Mankin for accounting and he really stands out. I had a lot of teaches I liked.

Where did you grow up?

Nashville, Tennessee.

Where do you live, and what do you do now?

I live in Columbus, Georgia. I am the program chair of the health science and kinesiology department. I don't teach as much now since I am department head.

Tell us about your family:

My wife is Rebecca. We don't have any children, but we have a three-year-old Golden Retriever named Nash for Nashville. Rebecca and I have a strong affection for Nashville since we met there. I met her at Vanderbilt where I had a part-time job.

FAST FINISH:

Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite TV show or movie: Seinfeld
Favorite sports team: Tennessee Titans
Pet peeve: I would say close mindedness.
Person I most admire: Anyone who is willing to have a deep meaningful and substantive conversation with me.
Ride or drive? Drive
Pick one – salad or dessert: Dessert
Dream vacation spot: I am not very good at vacations.
Early morning or late-night person? Early morning 100 percent.

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