Coker University

Nelson guided the Cobras to four wins during the 2021-22 season. P.J. Wunderlich finished third at the NCAA Super Region II Tournament at 157 pounds and qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships in St. Louis, MO. He also coached Hamilton Cooper to the first 20 win season for the program in seven years. 

During the 2020-21 season, Nelson coached Coker to a fifth place finish in the NCAA Super Region II Tournament. That same year, Zachary Van Alst made his second consecutive appearance in the Division II National Championships. Van Alst finished the season at No. 12 in The Open Mat's Latest Division II National Rankings. Nelson also coached Corey Christie and Corey Perkins-Willett, who both earned a spot on the South Atlantic Conference Conference Carolinas Second Team. Academically, Coker placed fifth on the NWCA Top 20 Scholar All-America Teams list while seven Cobras earned Scholar All-America Honors. 

2019-20 was a historic season for the Cobras. Coker posted an 8-4 dual record including a 4-3 record in South Atlantic Conference Carolinas. Coker finished the season cracking the Top 25 in The Open Mat's national poll, ranking 25th. It was just the second national ranking in the program's history. Coker also had three men named to the All-Conference Second Team in Chris Poland (133 pounds), Corey Perkins-Willett (184 pounds) and Ramon Correa (285 pounds). Under Nelson, Coker also sent a program record four wrestlers to the Division II National Championships in Sioux Falls, S.D. Omar Armengol (133), Zachary Van Alst (141), Corey Christie (165) and Jhavon Innocent (174) each qualified for nationals under Nelson's tutelage. Nelson also was named Super Region Coach of the Year. Academically, the Cobras posted a 3.65 team GPA and had seven men named Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. 

In his first season back at his alma mater, Nelson led the Cobras to two dual wins including one in the inaugural season of South Atlantic Conference Carolinas wrestling. In his first season, he also coached Ramon Correa, who became the fourth wrestler in program history to reach the Division II National Championships in 2018-19. 

Nelson was appointed as the Cobras' Head Wrestling Coach in March of 2018.

Nelson returns to Coker after serving as the assistant coach at King University this past season. While at King, Nelson was involved in all phases of the wrestling program including conditioning, strength training, practice planning, and recruiting. His time at King was highlighted by coaching two All-Americans this past season at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

Before King, Nelson had a brief stint at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., where he was the interim head coach. In the first year of the program, Nelson helped Northeastern finish in the top 25 of the national tournament as three Plainsmen qualified for the national tournament. Northeastern finished with one All-American and three academic All-Americans.

Prior to coaching at Northeastern, Nelson was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Coker College where he helped with the recruitment of student-athletes. While wrestling at Coker, Nelson ranked in the top 10 of NCAA Division II in the 2015-16 season while being selected All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and earning academic All-America honors. 

Before arriving at Coker as a student-athlete, Nelson wrestled for the University of Pittsburgh where he was a 2013 Varsity Letterman and an Eastern Wrestling League Freshman All-Academic selection. In high school, Nelson was a two-time PIAA state wrestling place winner at Waynesburg High School, located in Waynesburg, Pa. 

Nelson graduated with his Bachelor of Art-History from Coker and also earned his Master of Science in Athletic Administration from Coker. He resides in Hartsville with his wife Kinsey and their dog, Sugar.