Dragons Head Coach

Jeff Nickerson

Jeff Nickerson has been named Head Softball Coach at Tiffin University, taking over for departing coach Brian Campbell.  

"I welcome the opportunity to guide the softball program,” Nickerson, who has head coaching stints at Presbyterian College in South Carolina and Ohio Northern University, said. “It was a great opportunity for me to take over a successful program at a time when they are joining a challenging new conference. I am familiar with the area, and I love coaching at the Division II level.” 

"Tiffin University is fortunate to have someone as experienced and successful as Jeff Nickerson to lead our softball program. As we enter the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, we are confident that Coach Nickerson can continue the strong tradition of excellence that the softball program has already established. He brings the right combination of experience and success to the program,” said Lonny Allen, Athletic Director.

During his three-year tenure at Presbyterian College, he compiled an overall mark of 108 wins against 69 losses, including a 24-18 record within the South Atlantic Conference (SAC).  Nickerson led the Lady Blue Hose to a school record 48 wins during his first year, guiding the program to its first-ever SAC Tournament Championship and their first appearance in the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament in 2004 where they fell in the Regional Championship. He earned SAC and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year honors in 2004, while coaching nine all-conference players, including the 2005 SAC Freshman of the Year and an NFCA All-South Atlantic Region player in 2006.

During his time at Ohio Northern, Nickerson built the softball program from one with a losing season his first year to recording two straight 20-win seasons in 2002 and 2003. He got his start at ONU as an assistant coach during the 2000 season before being named interim head coach in 2001. He assumed the full-time position after the 2001 season. He also was an assistant softball coach at Capital University and Cortland State University in New York. 

Nickerson graduated cum laude from Cortland State University in Cortland, New York with a Bachelors of Science degree in Physical Education in 1998. He earned his Masters in Developmental Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Education in 2001 from Bowling Green University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Asst. Coach Deann Justice

Deann Justice enters her first year as Assistant Softball Coach at Tiffin University. Justice most recently coached with Rockford Lutheran in Illinois while also posting coaching stints at North Delta in Mississippi and with the Dixie Darlins from 2006-2007. She was a four-year starting catcher/right fielder at the University of Mississippi, where she earned her degree in 2005. While at Mississippi Deann posted several offensive career and single season records including home runs, walks, runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage and was also a two-year captain. She played professionally with the Rockford Thunder in the National Pro Fastpitch League in 2007 and also played internationally in the Netherlands with the Gryphons in 2008.