Football announces staff additions

The Defiance College football program has announced the hiring of two new members of the coaching staff in D'Gary Wallace, who will serve as defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach, and Bill Nickell who will serve as offensive coordinator and offensive line/tight ends coach.

Wallace joins the Defiance staff from FCS University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff where he served as nickels coach and video coordinator. While at AUPB Wallace worked with a defense that finished ninth in the FBS defensive touchdowns while also coaching a player who finished fourth in the FCS in passes broken up. Wallace also worked with the Golden Lions special teams units that ranked third in the FCS in blocked punts and seventeen blocked field goals.

Wallace has also had stints at the collegiate level at Capital University in 2021 where he coached the linebackers, Cincinnati Christian University where he served as defensive backs coach and co-special teams coordinator from 2019-20, and his alma mater Urbana University where he served as defensive line coach in 2015 before becoming linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator in 2016.

In addition to his experience coaching at the college level, Wallace served two stints as the defensive coordinator for his alma mater Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Dayton, Ohio from 2017-19 and again in 2020. During his time at Dunbar Wallace coached a total of 25 all-conference players, seven all-state products, and two All-Americans.

As a player Wallace was a standout linebacker, earning All-America honors as a junior and senior. He holds several records for Urbanna including career tackles, career-assisted tackles, total tackles in a single season, assisted tackles in a single season, and most tackles in a single game. In 2015 Wallace was named a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award for the best defensive player in Division II. Wallace is also a three-time All-Mountain East Conference First team honoree and holds the conference record for most career tackles. Wallace graduated from Urbanna with a degree in early childhood education in 2016.

Nickell also comes to Defiance from UAPB after having served as offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator, and co-offensive coordination for the Golden Lions for the past two seasons and helped lead the team to a SWAC West title. Under his tutelage, the Golden Lions allowed the least sacks in the SWAC during the spring 2021 season and finished 13th in the nation in the least sacks allowed. As the offensive line coach Nickell produced three All–Americans, six All-Conference honorees, and a Willie Roaf Award winner for the best collegiate offensive lineman in the state of Arkansas regardless of division.

Prior to his time at UAPB, Nickell spent one season as assistant head coach/offensive line coach at Lake Erie College. Before Lake Erie Nickell spent five seasons on the staff at Lock Haven University where he served as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/offensive line and tight ends coach from 2015-19. While at Lock Haven he guided an offense that set program records for total offense in a season and points in a season. During his tenure 17 offensive players earned All-PSAC awards, 10 received All-Region nods, and seven reached All-American status. In addition, Nickell coached two linemen who were finalists for the Gene Upshaw Ward for best lineman in NCAA DII football. In 2019 Nickell was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year award and in 2017 he was named to the AFCA's 35 Under 35 list for the top young coaches in the country.

Before coaching at Lock Haven Nickell was an offensive assistant at FBS Kent State University where he assisted in coaching the offensive line and tight ends. He began his career at his alma mater Urbana University from 2011-13. After starting out as an offensive assistant working with the offensive line and tight ends in 2011 Nickell was then promoted to run game coordinator in 2012 and added the title and responsibility of associate head coach prior to the 2013 season. In 2011 the Urbanna offense finished first in the GLFC in scoring, total offense, passing offense, and rushing offense and finished first in total offense and passing offense in 2012. The 2013 season saw the school switch conferences to the MEC and saw the Blue Knights lead their new conference in total offense, passing offense, passing efficiency, and first downs.

Nickell graduated from Urbana University in 2011 with a degree in special education and was a two-time captain of the Blue Knights football team. As a senior Nickell earned All-American honors as an offensive lineman and was also selected to the National Football Foundation's Scholar-Athlete Team and was named all-conference first team in 2010. Nickell was a member of two Urbanna teams that won their conference championship, winning the GLFC as a player in 2010 and as coach the following year.

A native of Celina, Ohio, Nickell and his wife Andrea live locally with their two sons Luke and Wyatt.