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When the University of West Georgia needed a coach to continue the dynasty that had become UWG Cheer in the summer of 2011, the clear choice was a veteran of the cheer ranks to build more championship bricks on top of that foundation. Nicole Nichols (then Wiltsie) took the reigns of the program and never skipped a beat.

An innovator in the world of cheerleading at every turn, Nicole Nichols not only kept the championship cheerleading tradition going at the University of West Georgia, but she expanded it as well. The competition-savvy coach has won 14 team national titles at UWG and has brought a Partner Stunt Competition championship in each of the last two years. In 2022, it was at NCA Nationals and in 2023, the Wolves broke through at UCA Nationals as well. 

Now in 2024, as the University elevates to Division I, Nichols takes on an elevated role as she is now a full-time staff member in UWG's Department of Athletics and will steer the upstart of UWG's STUNT program that will officially begin in the 2025-26 season.

In the spring of 2021, both UWG teams returned to the top of the podium at UCA Nationals with a sweep of Division I. January of 2022 brought the Wolves back to the stage in Orlando and the All-Girl squad made it back-to-back titles for the 28th UWG championship at UCA Nationals. Nichols and the Wolves delved into NCA waters in the spring of 2022, winning the group partner four-person stunt team to enter the 2023 campaign with 29 titles at UWG. 

The 2022 title marked the 14th for head coach Nicole Nichols since the coach took over the program in 2011, including the nine-straight UCA Championships with assistant coach Brian Nichols. Coed has been in the limelight for much of the now 25 program championships at UCA Nationals since 2001, but the All-Girl Squad has also been strong with nine championships in that run. 

In January of 2020, the West Georgia Coed squad took to the stage after months of rigorous training with Nichols and her longtime assistant coach, Brian Nichols. The team continued the championship trend, winning the seventh-straight coed championship at West Georgia, marking the 25th overall title at UCA Nationals since 2001. 

Nichols has also elevated the All-Girl program, as the Wolves now compete in Division I at UCA Nationals and have three titles in that division since 2017. 

Nichols came to West Georgia with extensive experience. Prior to her stint in Carrollton, for seven years as an instructor with Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA). With that organization, she has served for two years as a judge for their collegiate and high school championships in Orlando, Fla. Also, beyond this experience; she has two seasons of high school head coaching experience in her native Pennsylvania.

Nichols is a 2008 graduate of Slippery Rock University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education in Spanish. She picked up her Master's Degree from UWG in the summer of 2022.