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By Scott Jones
The following is an excerpt from Super Coach comic
book.
'7v!2J-m2anered George Nicodemus, to the unsuspect
ing worU, is just another empbye at the state motor fud
tax division in the state capitoL
"Cut, at the appointed hour, Nicodemus leaps into the
nearest phone booth, sheds his drab tie and sweater and
zappo-reappears as Super Coach."
Actually, the story of UNL women's basketball coach
Nicodemus isn't quite like that. Yes, Nicodemus is 2J
rnannered and he does work for the Department of Reve
nue at the capitoL And his coaching job at UNL is a
pubEc service of sorts, although Nicodemus's prowess has
nothing to do with kryptonite.
What really happened is tins: Nicodemus was the ath
letic director and women's basketball coach at John F.
Kennedy College in Vahoo before its financial collapse
last year. While at JFK, Nicodemus compiled a 121-53
record including national Amateur Athletic Union titles
in 1972 and 1973, and a runner-up spot in 1974.
I lis team also was chosen to represent the United
States in a series of games in the Peoples Republic of
China in 1973.
- No salary
So, UNL's women's athletic director, Aleen SwofTord,
with an eye for a bargain, offered Nicodemus the chance
to coach UNL's women's basketball team. The only catch
was that UNL couMnI afford to pay him.
"Dr. SwofTord contacted me and I thought she was just
kidding," Nicodemus said. "I thought she was crazy. It's
not often that people will do that for absolutely nothing."
However, Nicodemus was one of those people and he
gave UNL quite a return for its investment.
The UNL women's basketball team finished with a
DiJ honors couches
Ed2ors cote: The DsHy Ncbracksn has sorted
an awed to be gken ansssIJy fee Ilsskcr men's
and women s coaches of the year. Coaches made
the selections, and we congrsftslste their chefces
men's gynBnastics,coadi Francis Alien and women's
tsske&baS coach George Nicodemus. Each wO
receive a platse.
Coaches received three points for a first-place
vote in the balloting, two for second-place and one
for third-place. No coach was allowed to vote for
himself. Two coaches declined to vote.
Men's sports votegetters: Allen (20 points, six
first-place votes); Tom Osborne, football (15 points,
one first-place vote); Joe Gpriano, basketball (eight
points); Larry Rompe, golf (three points, one first
place vote), and Jim Porter, tennis (one point).
Women's sports votegetters: Nicodemas (13
points, three first-place votes); Pat SuZivan,
swimming and volleyball (10 points, three first
place votes); Romjue, golf (nine points, one first
place vote); Roger Czpin, cross country and track
(Eire points); BJyreen Loveless, softball (two points),
and Elizabeth Petrakis, field hockey (one point).
23-9 record this year, placed third in the regional tourna
ment and ended fifth in the Natbsal Women's hvititba
al Tournament in AmariHo, Tex.
Only last year, the women's team had a 9-7 record and
finished third in the state tournament (they won this
year).
Coach of theyear
For his finandaEy unrewarding efforts, Nicodemus has
been voted the coach of the year in women's sports by
the other women s coaches. -
Nicodemus, SI, said athletics enabled him to escape
childhood poverty, although he joked that his current po
sition hardly will make him rich.
"I lived on the other sile of the tracks, if that's what
you want to call it," Nicodemus said. Ik hopes to be pail
for coaching next year.
"It's very easy to get in trouble when you associate
with people who low to get in trouble.
Instead, Nicodemus received positive influences from a
coach in his Arkansas junior high school. lis continued
in athletics when his family moved back to his native state
of Iowa in 1939.
lie was a junior high school teacher and coach for 19
years in Iowa before taking the JFK job in 1970.
Nicodemus has coached both men's and women's
teams, but saH he r difference between them.
There really isn't any difference. Eat what I generally
tefl people is that the only difference is that girls don't
know anything (about the sport) and they realize it...
T think that's the problem of some coaches who go
from girls to boys or boys, to girls," Mcodemus said.
"They think they can treat them differently."
Dictates
Nicodemus said, MA coach has to be a dictator. Only
one man can operate tlx entire organization."
Despite such discipline, Nicodemus said he has not had
many complaints from his players in 24 years of coach
ing. This year's team is no exception, he added.
These girls this year really are the greatest bunch of
girls that Fve ever seen," he said. There wasn't one who
dislked any one of the others, and that's fantastic with
12 people. The listen well and they work hard."
After one of UNL's first games, Nicodemus wasn't sure
of his players quality. "In our first game with Kearney
when we won by two points we played terrible and I
thought, 'Boy, this is going to be an awful season."
But Nicodemus said his team was "a good ball team at
the end of the year, hi regional play, they lost by six
points to WiZiam Penn College, which finished fourth
nationally. .
With one senior on this year's team and some promis
ing recruits, including a 6 ft. 3 in. player, Nicodemus said
he is hoping for bigger things next year.
"I don't mind telling people that our sole target next
year is to win the national title."
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Women's basketbsfl coadb George Nkodemns,' UNL :;f
. - Vomen's Coach of the Year.
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By Scott Jonss
Members of UNL's gymnastics team love to talk about
the team's gradual rise to national power. Just ask them
shout it. TheyH talk forever.
It has something to do with the amount of work it
took to win a Big 8 Conference championship and finish
fourth in the National meet this year.
It also is a result of the close, almost family relation
ship on the team and the pride associated with reaping the
rewards of the hard work.
MI think one of the reasons that we've had so much
success is because coach (Francis) AEen instilled a lot of
pride in each of us," said senior Gene Mackie, this year's
team captain.
Ccach ia cse word
But ask any of the gymnasts for a one-word descrip
tion of their coach, Francis Men, and silent contempla
tion, followed by a devilish grin, will probably result.
For Mackk, the word for AEen was "ornery." He said
he meant it hi a positive way, adding, He's just a great
person."
Teammate Larry Gerard said "great" and the team's
third aH-arounder this year, Duane Vest, finally settled on
fantastic"
Although fee best word may be Edascribable, a four
word description-Coach of the Year-anrliss in this case.
ATen was voted that honor by the cthsr head coaches of
UNL's men's tsasas.
Csssrvsaif
AEen, who is apt to say ahncst anything, said, UI de
serve it," cpon first laamlr of the award. He was bexs
"ornery"
"My kiis deserve it They did it, not me," ATaa said.
i m the same coach I was last year, maybe a little smart
er. The point to be brought cut is that they're (the
fiayers) super dedicated people They'd be good at any-
Senior Frank O'Connor said ATaa helps fecttr that
cadication in his gymnasts.
"I think his personal philosophy is if yon want to be
good, ycaU make yourself good," he said. That
.CaCicafcca i&dadss dktisg, workicj out cn vjtahe-ds
C2ri23 the seaaon and every day &2xk the ssmsaer.
n
champions (before this year) in 1963 and 1964. He was
the conference paraM bars champion in 1964 and a mem
ber of the East-West AH Star team in both 1964 and 1965.
He has coached five AQ-Amencans in the last two years
and was the coach for the 1971 West all-star team.
Men said there are two ways to build a gymnastics
team. "One, you can go out and buy one." But AEen used
the other way.
That meant taking the gymnasts on hand and doing the
best he could, said the seven-year Husker coach. For
several years, other schools were offering as many as 18
scholarships, wh2e Alan was giving fewer than five.
Next year, for the first time, UNL will offer seven
scholarships the maximum number of gymnastic scholax
ships slowed. ; " " . ;"
. Ahhou-i his program may have sdf-sastaiiilmersen-tena
new, AEen said staying near the top won't be easy.
"It's going to be more difficult from ccsr cn becasas '
Icsra State didn't think we could do it (win the E"; fc
Now he (Cyclone coach Ed Gagsier) knows that we tezss
the potential and he's going to work harder." Nebraska's
conference win this year broke a chy of seven eccsssa
tivs Big 8 titles by Iowa State.
' 0!ca3 . . .
- Despite his coaching accomIihsents, AEan said he
still is learning, even daring the "Lttla gM meets" he con
ducts on Sundays for his Nebraska School Gymnastics.
. "For a major college coach to sit at a littia gMs mast
watchics 12- and 14year-clds, they'd sry yen're nuts.
,I credit myself with being a stsdant of gynmastks.
And thit means yon have to do it all the tfcae.
Fisrjtos
- hk moments cf exaraticn, AEen has threatened to
c-iit. Once, ts-han plsss for the new sports ctntar vtre
tdr dnn, Allan's threat was saricus becssse he said he '
dlat think the gymctxs team was gran a tencch
Fcrnmataly fcr UXL gymnaatics fans, AEan said he
12ss Lfccda tni hc? to ccach hare 0 1 die."
est tliid to ths drawbacks, however.
"tliicr rrcrt coashes axe th crssv t .-
the psb: saheds."
Alan was a member of UNL's lact 8 CcrJirance dai s a th3 fcsrrarj
AEaa, a 33-ytar:i busier, is paid S 1 1 Ikk t-t s-? i
ccashr" Fyrartics h his Icrr "I Inr it i