Developing champions in competition, character and community.

This is the new mission statement for the Mules under Jake Nickelson, who was unanimously hired by the Board of Education in April to succeed Joe Brown as athletic director.

Nickelson, alongside incoming assistant director Chris Newman—a former rival coach turned family friend—crafted the Athletic Department's first dedicated mission statement while engaging in leadership training with Nickelson’s mother, Paula, a consultant and former director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Apropos, the Mules, as Poplar Bluff’s team title and mascot, celebrated their centennial last year.

“Athletics is definitely at the front of the school, sometimes more than it should be,” Nickelson said. “In the end, it’s important. I feel like I learned a ton from coaches; once you have that title, it stays with you for life.

“Obviously sports helps build character, gives you a little bit of discipline, being on a team shows you how to work with others, but what matters in the end—with the majority playing four years varsity then you have to go into the real world—is how did we help them get to the next level, whether college life, or being the best welder or painter," he elaborated. “I hope four years with a high school coach and the Athletic Department as a whole pushed them in the right direction to be the best at what they are in their pursuit.”

Nickelson brings several years of experience as an athletic director at smaller area schools, in addition to serving as assistant AD in Poplar Bluff this previous school year. His tenure with the R-I district began during his first stretch in 2016/17, when he served as football, basketball and baseball coach as well as an in-school suspension instructor at Junior High, plus Junior Beta sponsor.

He obtained his teaching certification through the ABCTE program, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, having earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Entering school administration, he continued his graduate studies, securing his master’s and specialist in education from William Woods University in Fulton.

His first opportunity to oversee the athletic programming of a school system occurred at Winona in 2019/20 when he was assigned the position midway through the year after a sudden vacancy. “Baptism by fire,” he remarked, noting that he also taught social studies and coached at the time.

“Small school America is so much different than big schools because everybody is doing 17 different things,” Nickelson explained. “Winona was one of my toughest years because I was so new and having to manage all the sports and activities. But there were 12, maybe 15 programs, whereas there are 46 here, so it’s just on a larger scale, but the same idea.”

Having accepted a similar post in Van Buren three years later, Nickelson was still able to excel over baseball, producing district and conference champions twice, winning coach of the year consecutively, all while wearing multiple hats including teaching social studies and physical education, coaching other sports and sponsoring the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on top of his AD duties.

“I’m ready. Everything happens for a reason. God’s got a plan. I kind of always thought in the back of my mind this is where I want to be. It’s always been a little bit of a dream of mine,” Nickelson reflected. “It may have happened faster than we thought, but not necessarily for the bad.”

Having grown up in Fulton, Nickelson was an All-Conference catcher in high school, landing a full scholarship to Three Rivers, where he also achieved All-Conference honors. He proceeded to earn a free ride to UMC, where the Mules (coincidentally) were MIAA, Central Region and World Series champions, and he was inducted into the UMC Hall of Fame as part of the team and entire athletic department.

While baseball will always be his passion, Nickelson plans to carry forward from his experience this past year a concentrated effort to shift the focus of the department from athletics to all extracurricular activities under the Missouri State High School Activities Association such as band and theater. 

“Working closely with Coach Nickelson over the past year, I’ve seen firsthand how dedicated, adaptable and genuinely invested he is in the future of Mules Athletics,” stated Dr. Valerie Ivy, PBHS principal. “He brings a unique combination of hands-on experience and a deep, genuine care for our student-athletes and programs.

“What stands out most about Jake is his collaborative mindset—whether it’s developing a clear vision and mission statement or connecting with our boosters and community members, he leads with vision, humility and heart,” Nickelson’s supervisor continued. “I'm truly excited to see all the positive energy and fresh perspectives he and his team are bringing to the table. He’s stepping into this next chapter fully prepared, backed by a great support system, and completely dedicated to taking Mules Athletics to the next level.”

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Cutline: Jake Nickelson, a Hall of Fame student-athlete, brings several years of athletic director experience to lead the Mules.