University of Central Arkansas Women's Soccer

Bishop returns for his third stint at Central Arkansas this time as a head coach. After previous stays at UCA as graduate assistant and later an assistant coach, Bishop is back to lead the Bears for the first time being named head coach of the women's program in 2012. Bishop most recently served as the men's head coach for one season at Harding University, having taken that spot following a two-year stint as the women's assistant coach at UCA in 2009 and 2010. Prior to returning to UCA where he earned his master's in kinesiology in 2000 while serving as a graduate assistant and assistant coach Bishop was the head men's coach and the assistant women's coach at Lyon College in Batesville from 2002-08. He started the men's program at Lyon and assisted with the start up of the women's program. In his time in Batesville, he coached 25 TranSouth Conference Scholar Athletes, 14 All-TranSouth Conference selections and six NAIA Academic All-Americans. He began his coaching career in 1999 as the volunteer boys' and girls' soccer coach at Central Arkansas Christian School, his high school alma mater, in Little Rock.  While working with CAC, Bishop also worked as a graduate assistant at UCA. In 2001, Bishop took his first collegiate head coaching job at Barton County Community College in Kansas. He was the head women's coach and assistant men's coach for one season. Bishop earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology at Harding and his master's degree in kinesiology at Central Arkansas in 2000. He is married to the former Beth Roberts, a 1998 Harding graduate. The couple has two childrenIsabella and Connor.

After seven years as the head coach at Newman (Kan.) University, Derek Nichols returned to Central Arkansas as Assistant Coach in 2012, and was elevated to Associate Head Coach in 2013. Nichols brings  30 years of soccer coaching experience to Conway, including various stops at the collegiate, Olympic Development Program, and club levels. He enters his 14th season with the Central Arkansas women's soccer team in 2025.  In 13 seasons as assistant with UCA, the Bears have these awards: ASUN West Division Co-Champion (2021) 2 time Southland Conference Champions (2016, 2018) 9 Conference Tournament Appearances (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)  6 Conference Tournament Semifinals (2016-2018, 2022-2024) 2 Conference Player of the Year (2016, 2018) 2 Time Forward of the Year (2016, 2018) 2 Time Newcomer of the Year (2012, 2018) 1 Midfielder of the Year (2023) 1 Defender of the Year (2018) 1 Goalkeeper of the Year (2018) 1 Freshman of the Year (2015) 1 Academic All-American 9 All-Region Players 46 All-Conference Players  Set program record for wins in a season twice (15 wins in 2016, 16 wins in 2018) Raised RPI from 283 in 2012 to 62 to 2018, peaking at 50 2018 team was third in the nation in goals per game, and was the only program with two players in the top-20 in goals scored 8 players have gone on to play professional soccer overseas Nichols, who played in 36 games for the bears in 1996-97, served as an assistant coach at Hendrix University (Div-III), before spending the 2001-02 seasons as graduate assistant for Central Arkansas' men's program. During his time on the staff, the Bears compiled a record of 30-8-2, including a 17-2-2  record and No. 3 national ranking in 2002. Following the 2002 season, Nichols moved to Lyon College (NAIA), helping to start the soccer program there and serving two seasons as Head Coach of the Women's program.  In 2005, Nichols was chosen to lead the program at Newman, and in his first season, the team compiled a second-half record of 7-2-2, earning a Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship and a No. 3 regional ranking. In 2006, the school's provisional year of Div.-II membership, Nichols led the Jets to a 12-4-1 record, earning Newman's Coach of the Year Award in the process. IN 2009, Nichols was named the Heartland Conference Coach of the Year, and in 2010 he led the Jets to their first 10-win season as a full-fledged member Div.-II.  Nichols has a USSF B Coaching License and an NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma. He earned both an M.S. and a B.S.E. in Kinesiology from Central Arkansas. He and his wife, Jessica, reside in Conway and are parents of two daughters, Haley and Kensey, and late son Gavin.