Joseph Nicholson, the 23 years old son of Earl Nicholson, has been named as the new Head Wrestling Coach at Richmond Senior High School. Joey, as he prefers to be called, will also be serving as a Physical Education Teacher at Cordova Middle School.

Obviously, Joseph is no stranger to Richmond Senior considering his father was coach there for 26 years.

The new Coach Nicholson is a member of the Richmond Senior class of 2020. During his years of attendance Joey was a member of the wrestling team where he was a state tournament qualifier as well as being the tournament champion at the prestigious Mallard Creek Invitational and the St. Paul's Invitational.

After graduating from high school Joey enrolled at The University of North Carolina-Pembroke. He graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and Physiology.

Great commentary for both Joey to graduate in 3 years as well as UNC-Pembroke for providing yet another teacher/head wrestling coach in the state of North Carolina.

The Nicholsons', Joey and Earl, work together in the Real Heroes Real Wrestlers Wrestling Club that Earl created a few years back. Currently, they have approximately 30 wrestlers participating.

On the wrestling club, Joey commented, "We’re continuing to grow the program and welcome more young wrestlers each season."

I asked Joey for a couple quotes and here are his responses:

On his wrestling wrestling experience:

"I’ve been involved in wrestling since I was 4 years old. My dad was coaching at Richmond Senior before I was even born, so I grew up around the sport and fell in love with it at a young age. Although we didn’t have middle school wrestling when I was growing up, I stayed active by competing in numerous local, regional, and national tournaments, which helped me continue developing my skills before wrestling for Richmond Senior High School."

Goals for the Program:

"My goal is to build a wrestling program that is known for discipline, hard work, and family. I want to develop not only successful wrestlers but also respectful, confident young men and women who carry the values of the sport into every part of their lives. I want to strengthen the connection between our youth club and high school program, increase participation, compete for conference and state championships, and create a tradition that future generations of Richmond wrestlers will be proud to be a part of."

Returning to Richmond Senior as their new wrestling coach:

"It’s an honor to come back home and lead the program that helped shape me. Richmond wrestling has a proud tradition, and I’m committed to building on that legacy by developing athletes who work hard, support one another, and represent our community with pride. Together, we’ll continue to raise the standard and show what Richmond wrestling is all about."

There is no doubt Joey comes from good stock in all areas (family, high school, college, and as an individual). The future looks bright for Richmond Senior High School. The Real Heroes Real Wrestlers Wrestling Club will become the precursor for some highly successful Richmond Senior High teams in the future.

Best wishes Joey as you endeavor toward with your professional goals while using wrestling as the mechanism to help the kids you work with develop a future for themselves. We'll be watching!