On Friday, February 8, 2019, the Central Valley School District held a ceremony renaming the middle school gymnasium after Coach Dave Nichol. Nichol was a longtime head basketball and baseball coach for Monaca. The service took place between the girls and boys varsity basketball games vs. Hopewell.
Dave Nichol, known as “Coach” to many of his former athletes and students, was an outstanding coach and educator in the Monaca School District for over 40 years. "Coach" was a health / physical education teacher as well as the Dean of Students in Monaca. He was also the head baseball coach for 39 years and head basketball coach for 30 years.
In baseball, Coach racked up 492 wins in his career. His team’s won 18 section titles, and he was voted Coach of the Year 15 times. He had several successful teams throughout his career. His 1985 teams were W.P.I.A.L. and P.I.A.A. runner-ups.
In basketball, Coach Nichol amassed over 465 wins as head coach. He won another 118 games as a JV and Junior Head Coach, before taking over in 1973. His team’s won 14 section titles, and he was voted Coach of the Year 12 times in his section. His 1982 team won both the W.P.I.A.L. and P.I.A.A. state titles. His team was also the 1981 W.P.I.A.L. runners up.
As our Coach, Dave Nichol has been recognized by being inducted into the inaugural class of the 2007 WPIAL Hall of Fame. The accomplishments do not stop there as he has been inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame (1990) and the Monaca Community Hall of Fame (1991). Athletics was such an essential part of Coach Nichol’s life he continued to be involved in several organizations, which included the Pennsylvania Athletic Directors Association, the MAC Athletic Directors, MAC Coaches Association, Monaca Recreation Board, and the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame Inductee committee.
Congratulations Coach Dave Nichol for a very successful career and for touching many lives in your tenure. This gymnasium is where all of your accomplishments started and ended. From this day forward, this gym will now be known as Coach Dave Nichol Gymnasium!