Highland Community College is a place full of opportunity and has impacted many lives over the years in academics, athletics and more giving people opportunities.

Those opportunities have led many to success all over the world and has also led many back to Highland Community College to be a part of the College again. The latest to step back on campus is former Highland football player, Andrew Nichols who returns to Highland now as a coach for the Scotties. He becomes the first former player for Highland football Head Coach Aaron Arnold to return to Highland and coach under him.

"I'm excited to coach for one of my Alma Maters and give kids a chance to further their education. I'm looking forward to developing young men at a huge turning point in their life and also win a lot of ball games," said Nichols about the opportunity to coach at Highland.
 
The Shawnee, Kansas native returns to Highland after playing offensive line two seasons for the Scotties back in 2013 and 2014 playing for Coach Arnold. He was on a pair of Scottie teams that won six games each season and during the 2014 season he earned All-KJCCC honorable mention honors. After two years at Highland Nichols transferred to Kansas State and walked on to the football team but after a spring semester with the Wildcats, Nichols looked for a different opportunity and found it at the NCAA DI FCS level with Western Illinois where he signed a full athletic scholarship to continue his football career. He played in 17 games for the Leathernecks including 11 his senior year and started the final two games of his career at offensive guard.
 
It was a no-brainer said Nichols on his decision to come back to Highland and coach under Coach Arnold has he hopes to gain plenty from this coaching opportunity and looks forward to bring plenty to the table as a coach, also. "I wanted the opportunity to coach in undoubtedly the best Junior College Conference in America (KJCCC) and do it with people that I can learn from. I hope to add plenty of enthusiasm and hopefully a little football knowledge to the coaching staff and program," said Nichols.
 
Nichols who has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from Western Illinois and Master's in Business Administration from Pittsburg State has coaching experience at both programs. His coaching career started after his playing time at Western Illinois serving as a student assistant for one for the Leathernecks before working as a graduated assistant the last two years at Pittsburg State with the Gorillas football program.
 
Coach Arnold is truly excited for the addition of one of his former players in Nichols the Highland coaching staff. "I couldn't be happier about adding Andrew to the staff. It's the first time since I took over that I've had the opportunity to bring back a former player in a full time position. Andrew was a great player while here but more importantly he was a great person. He truly embodies what our program is all about and I'm so excited to have him here with his bringing his own unique energy to our program every day. When programs talk about being a family, Andrew is what I think about – he and his family have become part of ours," said Arnold.
 
Nichols has it the ground running with the Highland football program having attended a coaching conference and hitting the recruiting trail searching for future Scotties. Highland football will open the 2019 football season on Saturday, August 24^th on the road at Fort Scott.