Pasqua Named Men's Basketball Head Coach

Coker University has named Nick Pasqua as its head men's basketball coach, Dr. Lynn Griffin vice president of athletics and athletic facilities announced today. 

"We are excited to welcome Coach Pasqua to the Coker family", said Griffin.  "Nick has built successful programs at Converse University and Southern Wesleyan University.  I look forward to watching him continue to develop and grow the Coker men's basketball program.  We look forward to welcoming Nick, wife Spenser, and their 4 kids to the Hartsville community".   

Pasqua comes to Coker with eight years of head coaching experience at the division II level. The most recent has been his three year stint at Converse University where he led them to their first ever Conference Carolinas Tournament appearance and win. He was responsible for a 9 win improvement in his first year and saw increases in the teams points per game (+5), 3 point field goal percentage (+5), and defensive points per game allowed (-6). During his time at Converse, he has coached two players to the Conference Carolinas All-Conference teams. 

Prior to his time at Converse, Pasqua led Southern Wesleyan to their most successful season in program history. In 2020 they won the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship, clinching a spot in the National Tournament. During that season, Pasqua helped Southern Wesleyan to an 18 game win improvement (20-11), which was the largest single-season turnaround in the 2019-2020 season in all of the NCAA. Following that season, Nick was named Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year. During his four years at Southern Wesleyan, he coached 7 players to All-Conference teams. 

Pasqua has had great success in the development of players. During his time at Southern Wesleyan he helped DeMarcus Addie increase his points per game from 4.0 to 18.4, while Clenzo Ross jumped from 6.4 to 17.1 and was named First Team All-Conference. While at Converse he saw Bosko Bojovic improve from 9.0 points per game at Belmont Abbey to 14.0, and Uzziah Dawkins improve from 7.6 to 14.6. 

Nick has also made stops at Tusculum where he was the head coach in the 2017-2018 season, and King University where he was an assistant coach from 2008-2017. In 2011-12, Pasqua helped lead the Tornado to a Conference Carolinas regular season championship in its first year as a league member. Behind a 23-8 overall and 14-2 conference record, the Tornado became the first nationally-ranked team in school history since becoming a NCAA Division II institution, reaching No. 25 in the country. Pasqua helped guide the Tornado to their second Conference Carolinas regular season title and first Conference Carolinas Tournament title in 2015-16. He also helped the Tornado climb the polls early in the season, achieving a ranking as high as seventh in the NABC poll, their highest ranking in the poll in school history. Nick was promoted to Associate Head Coach during his time at King. 

"I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be the head coach at Coker," said Pasqua. "I would like to thank Dr. Griffin for her belief in me and giving me the privilege of leading the Cobra program. My staff and I will work tirelessly to bring a championship level program to the Hartsville community. My family and I are excited to get to campus and get to work."

Nick graduated from King University in 2008 where he played basketball, with a bachelors of Sports Management. In his time on the court, Pasqua helped compile a 49-19 record. He was a four-year starter, part of the two AAC tournament championship teams, and the 2007-08 AAC regular season championship team. He was selected to the AAC First Team, AAC All-Defensive Team, and AAC All-Academic Team after his senior season. Pasqua scored 1,300 points and dished out 500 assists during his Tornado career. He added a Post-Baccalaureate from Lincoln Memorial in 2010. He and his wife Spenser, have four children, Hudson (8), Riley (6), Harley Grace (3), and Lincoln (1).