In two short seasons, Angelina College head men’s basketball coach Nick Wade has created quite the stir. People in the upper echelons of college basketball are beginning to take notice.
Following the 2019-2020 season, a year in which his Roadrunners captured the Region XIV conference tournament title and qualified for the national championship tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, Wade was named the conference’s South Zone Coach of the Year – his second straight COY award from the conference’s zone. His dynamic, “blue-collar” approach to the game has led to success for his players. After the shortened 2019-2020 season, eight of Wade’s Roadrunners signed their letters of intent to play with various universities.
This week, Wade learned he’d been selected to participate in the inaugural “TopConnect NJCAA Symposium” set for October 8 and 9. With numerous Division I head coaches leading the symposium, the honor places Wade in some very select company.
Wade received his call from an assistant coach at Texas A&M University informing Wade of the opportunity.
“TopConnect selects from a list of what they consider the top junior college coaches, those they feel have a chance to become a Division I coach down the road, and they basically work with NJCAA coaches and athletic directors on what it takes to make the jump,” Wade said. “There’s also something called ‘speed dating’ where you’re doing many interviews, and they’re helping you out in case you ever want to take that next step.”
Presenters for the symposium include a number of former junior-college coaches now emplaced within the Division I ranks. Those coaches include current Texas A&M University head coach Buzz Williams, who coached at Navarro College; Steve Forbes, the current head coach at Wake Forest University who coached at Northwest Florida State College; and several others.
Over the two-day symposium, current D1 head coaches “will speak of their experiences on maintaining the success once hired at the Division I level, making the jump to D1 from junior college,” according to a TopConnect press release.
For Wade, the honor simply confirms the work ethic instilled within him at a very young age.
“Personally, it means we have a great institution here, and for Dr. (Michael) Simon and Coach (Guy) Davis to give me this opportunity and to have faith in me, along with our athletic department and my assistant Zac Kircher, means we have something special working for what we hope is a long, long time here,” Wade said. “It’s special because of something I’ve been taught my whole life: Don’t worry about who’s watching. My mother would tell me someone was always watching, but if I’d put my head down and work hard, good things would come if they’re meant to be.
“That’s what I take from this,” Wade added. “It’s definitely a great honor, but my job is to do my very best in my role here, and keep growing this program into what I hope is a national brand very, very soon.”
The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angleina.edu.
