Faulkner University Men's Basketball

Sanderson led the team to an SSAC Tournament title and the opening round of the NAIA national tournament. Sanderson, 54, is the former head coach at the University of Mobile and Lipscomb University. He replaced his older brother Jim Sanderson, who retired from the position after 24 years. Sanderson actually began his coaching career at Faulkner in 1985, joining his brother's staff as his top assistant. He also had graduate assistant stops at the University of South Carolina - his alma mater - and the University of Virginia before accepting an assistant coach position at the University of New Orleans. After two seasons with the Privateers, he moved on to the University of Colorado, where he was an assistant for six seasons. Sanderson's first head coaching opportunity came at the University of Mobile, where he quickly built the Rams' program into an NAIA power. His 1998-99 Mobile team made it to the NAIA tournament championship game, and he was named the national coach of the year for his efforts. The Rams also won back-to-back conference titles under Sanderson. Hired at Lipscomb in 1999. Sanderson spearheaded the Bison's move from the NAIA to NCAA Division I. In his 14 seasons at Lipscomb, Sanderson guided the Bison to a pair of Atlantic Sun Conference championships and the program's first post-season appearance, coming in the 2006 National Invitational Tournament. His first Lipscomb team, still playing in the NAIA, was No. 1 in the country for most of the 1999-2000 season, and Sanderson received national coach of the year honors from the Basketball Times that year. In addition to his pair of national coach of the year honors, Sanderson has been named conference coach of the year four times - twice at Mobile in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and twice at Lipscomb, once while in the NAIA's TranSouth Conference and once in the NCAA's Atlantic Sun Conference. Heading into the 2014-2015 season Sanderson holds a career head coaching record of 306-226. As a player at South Carolina, Sanderson spent four seasons as a shooting guard for the Gamecocks, He earned a bachelor's degree in business management from South Carolina in 1984. Sanderson and his wife, Ronda, have four children - Carter, 24, Clint, 21, Garrett, 18 and Grant, 15. Drew Wilson enters his third season as Faulkner's assistant coach. Before arriving at Faulkner he spent two years at Snead State Community College, the last as the associate head coach. In his two years on staff at Snead State Wilson was involved with all aspects of the program with a primary focus on recruiting, player development, and on-the-court coaching. Under Wilsons tutelage Snead State had nine players continue their careers at four-year institutions, iIncluding three to the NCAA Division I level. The Parsons also had four all-conference performers in Wilsons two years as an assistant. The 2012-13 season produced Snead State's best finish in seven years in the ACCC's North Division.  At Faulkner Wilson will also assist with all facets of the program, concentrating on recruiting, scouting and on-the-floor-coaching. A graduate of Mercer University, Wilson served his alma mater as a student assistant and graduate assistant on head coach Bob Hoffman's staff, helping the Bears to some of their most successful years in the program's history. He also worked closely with the Bears' summer camps.  Jon-Michael Nickerson joins the mens basketball staff as a volunteer coach this season after spending a year as an assistant at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.   Prior to IUPUI he was a graduate manager for the University of Memphis.   The Millbrook, Ala.-native served as the boys basketball coach and athletics director at Excel Christin (Ga.) where he was voted Coach of the Year after leading the team to its first-ever GHSA state tournament Elite Eight appearance.   Nickerson played professional baseball with the GCL Marlins for two years after being drafted in the 16th round of the 2003 MLB June Amateur Draft. He was 9-1 in his first season with the organization and became the youngest and first-ever rookie pitcher in Marlins history to throw a complete game no-hitter.    After retiring from baseball at the start of spring training in 2006, Nickerson attended Kennesaw State on a basketball scholarship where he was a four-year starter for the Owls. The 6-foot-6 forward made 87 starts in 115 appearances and compiled 795 points and 473 rebounds in his career.   Nickerson earned a degree in Health & Physical Education form KSU in 2010.   Nickerson played basketball at Stanhope Elmore High School where he averaged 27 points per game his senior season and led the team to the state finals.