Kellie Harper adds veteran coach to 2026-27 staff
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
There will be a new face joining Mizzou women's basketball coach Kellie Harper on the sidelines for the 2026-27 campaign.
On Monday, Mizzou Athletics announced that Coach Harper hired former Kansas State 'Chief of Staff' Mike Nicholson, who will bring more than 30 years of coaching experience in both men's and women's hoops to Columbia. Those 30 years include 27 seasons spent in the state of Missouri.
He has helped develop 41 all-conference selections, seven All-Americans, two honorable mention All-Americans and a first-round NBA Draft pick over the course of his career.
Most recently, Nicholson spent five seasons with the Wildcats at Kansas State, where he was the chief of staff. During his time in Manhattan, the Cats won 112 games and appeared in three NCAA Tournaments, including a run to the program's first Sweet 16 in 23 years back in 2025. Kansas State is where he developed 10 out of his 41 all-conference selections.
Prior to his stint in Manhattan, Nicholson was the top assistant coach at Central Missouri, as he worked with the team's guards. In Warrensburg, he helped guide the Jennies to a 161-53 overall record, the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship, a 2021 NCAA Division II Final Four appearance, two MIAA regular-season titles and one MIAA postseason crown. It was in Warrensburg, where Nicholson earned the 2021 WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year award.
He also spent time in west Missouri, as an assistant coach for the men's team at Missouri Western from 2007-2013. During his time in St. Joseph, Nicholson helped the Griffons to 228 wins, three MIAA regular-season championships, a pair of MIAA Tournament titles and five appearances in the NCAA-II Tournament. Additionally, he helped in the development of a pair of All-Americans, two MIAA MVPS and 11 All-MIAA players.
Before his successful run at Missouri Western, Nicholson was also an assistant coach at Kansas City under Lee Hunt and Bob Sundvold. He was a member of the staff that led Kansas City to the most wins in Division I in school history and he also played a role in the development of Tony Dumas, drafted in the first round (19th overall) by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1995 NBA Draft.
However, Columbia will not be an unfamiliar place for Coach Nicholson, as he actually graduated fro mMizzou in 1990. He originally started his college career by playing one season of hoops at Nebraska Wesleyan University, before becoming a Tiger.
