Gerald Nickelberry remembers the moment like it was yesterday.
He was working with his son Josh Nickelberry in the gym when the then-eighth grader did something that caught the attention of the entire gym.
Josh’s first dunk sits up there with his first steps for the best memory of Gerald as a father.
“I was standing at the free throw line while he was at practice and I was volunteer coaching,” Gerald told the Democrat. “He had been trying and trying but never could go over the top.
“Then out of nowhere, man I tell you, he did one of those tomahawk dunks, man, the entire gym stopped because everybody was just surprised that a little eighth grader, 140 pounds probably soaking wet 150 pounds, was able to get up and dump that basketball. It was such a feeling of accomplishment for him.”
Around the eighth grade was also when Gerald started to believe in the idea that Josh could play collegiate basketball.
He soon contacted the then-Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry – his second cousin through his father about getting advice for his son to play at the next level.
A connection grew between the two cousins, despite the age difference. The goal became for Josh to eventually play for Kevin.
“We’ve grown close,” Gerald said. “He’s a really good coach and an even better guy. And one heck of a recruiter. I did reach out to him, initially for some advice, and I saw that Josh had an opportunity to have a shot at this thing with regards to becoming good enough to where some scholarship offers where, well, that’d be possible.
“He offered up sound advice at that time. And we’ve been close ever since.”
Flash forward eight years later, Kevin is an assistant coach for Florida State men’s basketball on Leonard Hamilton‘s staff and Josh is a key transfer addition for the Seminoles out of La Salle.
“We talked in the past about being in the same place,” Kevin told the Democrat. “But it got to a point where I didn’t think it was going to happen. I’m just proud to be able to see him every day and be a part of his journeys. It’s really exciting.”
The duo has been an asset for the Seminoles, as after a program-worst 9-win season in 2022-23, they are off to a 4-1 start to the 2023-24 season, including going 2-0 and winning the Sunshine Slam Championship over No. 18 Colorado.
FSU plays host to Georgia in the SEC-ACC Challenge at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
The recruitment
Kevin was a candidate for a position as an FSU assistant when Josh made his recruiting visit to Tallahassee.
Josh committed to FSU on April 14. Five days later, Kevin was officially announced as a hire by Hamilton’s staff.
“He was here with me on my visit,” Josh told the Democrat. “He was still trying to feel things out. He was doing his interviews. once I committed, he was happy for me. And then it just worked out like they announced he got the job a couple of days later. We were just excited to get down here and get to work.”
Josh was previously recruited out of Northwood Temple Academy in Fayetteville, N.C. in the 2019 class by Hamilton. Josh ended up at Louisville before transferring to La Salle.
He averaged 10.9 points and 2.7 rebounds and shot 40.1% from three for the Explorers during the 2022-23 season.
“He recruited me heavily,” Josh said of Kevin pitching the possibility of teaming up at FSU. “He’s been coaching different schools throughout my college career. It was always a dream to be able to play with him on the staff. It just came about my last year and it worked out perfectly.”
Kevin already held a ton of respect for Hamilton. But once Josh committed, accepting the position at FSU became even more of a no-brainer for him.
“You don’t get a lot of opportunities to coach your family,” Kevin said. “It’s a great memory to see him go through it. … Now I see why people take certain jobs. [Michigan basketball head coach] Juwan [Howard] was so excited to coach his son and LeBron [James] may be hanging around to coach his son.”
Kevin’s coaching resume includes stops as a head coach at Hampton (2006-09), Howard (2010-19) and as the interim head coach at LSU for one game during the 2021-22 season.
He spent one season as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgetown, helping the Hoyas bring in the No. 2 ranked Transfer Portal recruiting class in the nation in 2022 before making his way to Tallahassee.
“He just knows how it is being a college coach,” Josh said. “It’s all about trust. With this being my last year, I wanted to have full trust in my coaching staff. I don’t want to be in a situation where you really can’t thrive.
“I knew I would have that here, especially with a family member on staff.”
Going out on a limb
The Nickleberry family may be large, but if you have the last name, make no mistake, you’re part of the clan.
“We have family reunions, it’s maybe hundreds and hundreds of people there,” Kevin said. “But Nickelberry is such a weird name, you know you’re related. For years, I’ve been the Nickleberry everyone knows because I’ve been in the national media for so long.”
Gerald and his family were mainly from the Memphis area. Kevin and his side were from the Washington D.C. area. So the paths between them rarely, if ever, crossed.
“We didn’t come across each other much growing up. But I’ve had been following his career,” Gerald said. “He has a very impressive resume and he’s one heck of a coach, so I couldn’t think of [anyone better].
“It was just one of those things where I said, ‘Hey, I’m going reach out to my cousin and then just seek some advice on what we need to work on and things of that nature.’
“It’s transcended that into where we are very close and he wants what’s best for Josh.”
Josh comes from a family of athletes. His mother, Meredith McKinney, was a standout volleyball athlete. Gerald played linebacker at Northern Illinois in the early 1990s. He earned an honorable mention All-American selection as well as being named a freshman All-American.
Kevin played collegiately at Virginia Wesleyan.
Just don’t expect Kevin and Josh to play a one-on-one game against each other anytime soon.
“He’ll get mad if I say this, but when I was the head coach at Howard, I used to work him all the time,” Kevin said. “I think it was in the eighth or going into the ninth grade, we played two-on-two, me and one of my sons against his and another one of my sons and we beat them.
“I’ve never played him since. Every time someone asks I say, ‘The last time we played, I beat him,’ and he hates it. He’s obviously taking unbelievable steps. I’m not going to be on the course with him now, let me tell you that.”
No preferential treatment
Family does not mean Josh is getting preferential treatment at practices or during games.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t special moments. During the second game of the season – a 94-67 win over Central Michigan – the cousins were spotted together on the bench.
“I probably treat him harder than I treat the rest of the guys,” Kevin said. “We are very comfortable. I’ve said things so I’m very honest and blunt things to him from a very young age. He knows I don’t hold my tongue.
“It’s easier now because he knows I’m coming from a good place and I know what he wants out of this experience. I’m able to give it to him from a place I think he can receive.”
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).
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