Nicholas Gray enters his fourth season as an assistant coach (sprints/hurdles) with the Denison University men’s and women’s track & field programs in 2025-26.
In the 2024-25 season, Gray helped the men’s track and field team to a third-place finish at the NCAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, while the women placed fourth. Gray led a slew of Big Red into All-NCAC performances, as for the women’s Anaya Jolivette was second in the 60-meter dash (7.83), while Jaylin Epps (60-meter dash, first, 6.90), Ari Skolnik (60-meter hurdles, first, 8.06), Malik Holley (200-meter dash, third, 22.44), and Pierce Patterson (400-meter dash, third, 51.21). Skolnik’s 60-meter hurdle time is a NCAC record and new school record. Additionally, Skolnik was named a Second-Team All-American in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships. In the outdoor season, the men’s team finished second, while the women’s were fourth. Gray again led a group of All-NCAC recipients, as for the women’s, Anaya Jolivette (100-meter dash, second, 12.11; 200-meter dash, third, 25.12), Piper Lee (400-meter dash, third, 1:00.05), and Emily Brennan (400-meter hurdles, second, 1:03.00) all captured all-conference. For the men, Jaylin Epps (100-meter dash, second, 10.67), Ari Skolnik (110-meter hurdles, first, 14.40), Malik Holley (400-meter dash, second, 48.85) and Pierce Patterson (400-meter dash, third, 49.22) all were recognized as all-conference runners. Once more, Skolnik’s time in the 100-meter hurdles was a NCAC record and Denison record. At the NCAA Championships, Skolnik received Second-Team All-American honors in the 110-meter hurdles, as he finished 15th. Two runners, Brennan and Skolnik, were named USTFCCCA All-Regions, and Skolnik was a two-time All-American.
The Denison men's track & field team finished first overall at the 2023 North Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship, bringing home the seventh conference title for outdoor track & field in program history but the first since 1991. Denison scored in all 21 events and finished with 162 points, 33 points in front of second-place Wabash College with 129 points. As a team, Denison earned five individual conference championships and 12 total All-NCAC performances throughout the conference championship meet while Coach Gray and the rest of the Big Red coaching staff were awarded the NCAC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year award. It was the second NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year award for the Big Red in 2023 after closing out the NCAC Indoor Track & Field Championship in second place. Gray helped coach junior Caliyah Bennett (indoor track & field, 60 meter hurdles) and sophomore Ari Skolnik (outdoor track & field, 110 meter hurdles) to All-Great Lakes Region honors. At the conference level, Gray saw Skolnik win NCAC titles in the 60 meter hurdles (indoor track & field, school record 8.31 seconds) and the 110 meter hurdles (outdoor track & field, 14.78 seconds) while fellow-sophomore Jaylin Epps won the 60 meter dash (school record 6.93 seconds) at the indoor track & field championships. In addition, Dension's 4x200 meter relay team (1:47.19) and 4x400 meter relay team (4:08.16) both won the conference championship at the indoor track & field championships.
Gray was a team captain of The Ohio State University varsity track & field team where he earned 15 All-American honors and was an 11-time Big Ten event champion. Gray earned Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Athlete of the Year honors in 2019, was named the 2018 Indoor Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year, was a member of the USTFCCA All-American Academic Team, and was a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. In 2016, Gray qualified for the U20 World Championships.
One of the most decorated track & field athletes in school history, Gray finished his career with five Ohio State records and four Big Ten Championship records to his credit. Most notably, however, Gray is known for breaking Jesse Owens’ school record in the 100 meter dash, a record that had stood for more than 80 years. Gray broke the record in a race at the Gamecock Invitational at the University of South Carolina in April 2019. When he crossed the finish line, his time of 10.17 beat Owens’ school-record 10.20 set in 1936. He also broke a 26-year-old school record with a time of 20.20 seconds in the 200 meter dash on the same day.
Gray has previous coaching experience as the Head Middle School Coach at Columbus Academy (March-June 2022) and as a student assistant coach at Ohio State (August 2019-April 2020). He also assisted as an assistant coach of the Pacesetters Track Club, and is a mentor/personal coach for Central Ohio middle school and high school athletes.
Gray earned his B.S. in biology from The Ohio State University in 2020. He was also his team's SAAC representative for men’s track.
