Esche Named Assistant Coach

Feb. 4, 2009

THIBODAUX, LA — Nicholls State University Head Track and Field Coach Scott Williamson recently announced the hiring of two new assistant coaches. Assistant coach Matt Esche will take over the distance and cross country program and graduate assistant Deron Giscombe will specialize in the area of jumps for track and field.

“We are really excited to have both Matt and Deron join our program. Matt comes from a very successful program at the University of Iowa and I think he will make an immediate impact on our distance program,” Williamson said. “Deron will bring a lot of specialization to the jumpers and will also focus on specific training, which will be extremely beneficial for our team.”

Matt Esche will be primarily responsible for coaching the distance runners.

Esche came to Nicholls after serving two years as a volunteer assistant coach with the University of Iowa. While at Iowa, Esche assisted in recruitment, coordination of team travel, fitness design, equipment management, and monitoring of academic progress.

While coaching at the University of Iowa in 2006, Esche helped the men’s cross country team finish third at the NCAA Mideast Regional and 28th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. In 2007, Esche helped coach Iowa’s first ever individual Mideast Regional Champion, Micah VanDenend.

Esche, a USATF Level II Endurance Certified coach, gained expertise in coaching distance runners under direction of Iowa’s veteran coach Larry Wieczorek.

“I want to thank Coach Williamson for the opportunity to join the Nicholls State program. He has done a phenomenal job building up the Nicholls State track and field and cross country programs and I look forward to working with the men’s and women’s teams here at Nicholls State; they have a young and talented team that I believe can be a force in the Southland Conference,” Esche said.

Deron Giscombe will specialize in assisting the jumpers for the track and field program.

Giscombe came to Nicholls from Long Island University after serving as field events coach for the track and field program for two years. While at LIU, Giscombe coordinated field events, practices, and workouts, supervised track and field practices in the absence of the head coach, assisted in recruiting, designed study schedules, and coordinated traveling for the team.

During Giscombe’s coaching career, Long Island University won both the Indoor and Outdoor Women’s Northeast Conference Championship in 2006. The Blackbirds also finished third place in the 2008 NEC Indoor Championships. Giscombe received a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Long Island University in May of 2007.