January 8, 2019 - Panola College hires former NJCAA Region XIV Volleyball Coach of the Year and University of Florida Hall of Famer, Nicole Thorn, as the new Head Volleyball Coach.
Coach Nicole Thorn will take over the reins at Panola College for the second time next week. Coach Thorn will become head coach over a program that she helped build into a national power when she took over in 2008 and went on to lead the Fillies to their first NJCAA National Volleyball Tournament in 2009.
Thorn received her bachelor’s from the University of Florida where she enjoyed one of the best careers in school history. She was the 2000 SEC Player of the Year, a four-time all-SEC honoree and a second-team All-American in 2002 when she helped lead the Gators to a Final Four appearance. Thorn was also the recipient of the Ben Hill Griffin Award in 2002, which honors the top female athlete at Florida.
After leaving Florida, Thorn played professional volleyball in Puerto Rico for a year before returning to Gainesville, Florida to begin her coaching career. Later, she became the Head Coach at Georgia Southern University where she turned their program into conference contenders. Thorn went on to join Panola College as head coach from 2008 to 2013. During that time, Thorn was selected the NJCAA Region XIV and District Coach of the Year. Thorn has spent the past 6 years as the Head Coach at White Oak ISD where she was named District 17AAA coach in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
"We are excited about having Nicole Thorn back with Panola College. There is no doubt that she will maintain a high standard for our Volleyball program on and off the court. We welcome her back with open arms," says Don Clinton, Vice President of Student Services at Panola College.
