Canisius welcomes Nick Wilson as new cross country and track head coach

By Cassandra Ercoli, Sports Reporter

On Monday, Canisius vice president and director of athletics Bill Maher announced the hiring of Nick Wilson as the Golden Griffins’ next cross country and track head coach.

Wilson, a veteran collegiate coach with 12 years of experience, replaces former head coach Tyler Scheving, who announced his departure in August. Wilson previously served as the assistant coach at Georgia State and will take the lead starting next week. 

“I am excited to welcome Nick to Canisius and I look forward to working with him as we continue to build our cross country and track programs in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC),” said Maher in a press release, “His experience, enthusiasm and desire to help us grow the program are impressive, and I am confident he will do a terrific job leading our team.”

A graduate of the University of Rio Grande, Wilson began his coaching career in 2013 at his alma mater, an NAIA school in Rio Grande, Ohio. After a small stint, Wilson joined the coaching staff at Valley City State University in Valley City, ND. as the assistant coach before being hired at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, KY., as the head cross country coach. 

“I am incredibly excited to join Canisius and lead the cross country and track programs,” said Wilson in the press release, "there is a strong foundation and tradition of success here, and I know this team can accomplish great things with the people we have in place.”

During his time at Lindsey Wilson, he led the program to three conference championships and led multiple NAIA national qualifiers. Wilson expanded the roster to 95 student-athletes while also holding a retention rate of over 80 percent. The Blue Riders broke 22 school records during his time with the program, while the cross country team frequently appeared in the NAIA national rankings. 

During the search process, Ken Crawford served as the interim head coach, who led the men’s team to a fourth-place finish and the women’s to a seventh-place finish their last time out at the Canisius Alumni Classic in Buffalo, NY.

The hiring comes just in time for the Blue and Gold’s season finale at the 2025 MAAC Cross Country Championships. In last year’s championship, both the women’s and men’s cross country teams placed fifth. 

The Griffs will battle for a MAAC title on Nov. 1 in Montgomery, NY.

Photo Courtesy of Canisius Athletics