Nic Petersen

Nic Petersen

  • Entering 12th season at Florida (third as Associated Head Coach)
  • Nine-time NCAA Division I National Champion
  • Seven-time SEC Champion
Nic Petersen, who enters his 12th season with the Gators and his third as Associate Head Coach, has made is own imprint on one of the nation’s historically elite jumps programs.

The Gators have continued their extraordinary run of success in the jumps under Petersen. The program has recorded 21 men’s and women’s individual NCAA titles since his arrival in 2013, including seven from Jasmine Moore (2022-2023), two from Yanis David in 2019, three from KeAndre Bates in 2017 and seven from Marquis Dendy (2012-2015).

Petersen has been a part of nine National Championship teams and seven SEC Championship teams since his arrival to the program.

During his tenure, Petersen’s jumps group has won 21 National Championships, outlined above, and 28 SEC Championships.

Claire Bryant, during the 2024 indoor season, was coached by Petersen to an SEC Individual Championship and NCAA Runner-Up finish in the Long Jump. Petersen also guided Malcolm Clemons and Sean Dixon-Bodie to seconds place finish at the conference meet and third and fifth place finishes on the national stage, respectively. Caleb Foster, also under Petersen's guidance, placed third in the SEC in the Long Jump while finishing eighth in the same event at nationals.

In 2023, Petersen coached the men to ten points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships which contributed to the program’s 14th National Title.

He also guided Jasmine Moore to her second consecutive season of winning conference and national championships in both the long jump and triple jump in the same season, a feat that had only been achieved by her (2022). Moore added three more titles during the outdoor season as she was the SEC Champion in both the long and triple jump and the NCAA Champion in the triple jump.

In 2022, he led the Florida women to 78 points in the horizontal jumps between both conference meets.

Jasmine Moore put on a historic performance during the 2022 Indoor Season, becoming the first woman in NCAA history to win conference and national championships in both the long jump and triple jump in the same indoor season. She also has won SEC Outdoor titles in the long jump and triple jump.

Moore’s historic season culminated in the NCAA Outdoor Individual Championship in the long and triple jump.

Under Petersen’s guidance, she became the first woman in NCAA history to win four conference and four national titles in the horizontal jumps during the same calendar year.

In 2015, Marquis Dendy won The Bowerman following his successful Florida career under Petersen’s leadership. From 2012-2015, Dendy won seven National Championships in the Long Jump and Triple Jump. His historic 2015 season saw him take all four national titles in the Long Jump and Triple Jump.

As well, Petersen coached Yanis David to a pair of National Championships in 2019. She swept the SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles in the Long Jump and Triple Jump before winning two national titles in the same year.

Her performances earned her a spot as a finalist of The Bowerman, the first woman in Florida history to accomplish that feat.

Petersen also oversaw KeAndre Bates and Grant Holloway as they became the second pair of teammates in Division I history to post a 1-2 finish in the men’s long jump at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Since his coaching career began as a volunteer assistant at the University of Nebraska in 2008, Petersen has coached nine different athletes to 25 national titles, 21 of them with the University of Florida. Marquis Dendy and KeAndre Bates put themselves in rare company as collegians, becoming two of the seven men in Division I history to sweep the horizontal jumps titles at NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Petersen was promoted to the role of Associate Head Coach alongside Mellanee Welty following the 2021 season.
Petersen by the Numbers
  • 25 Individual Men’s and Women’s National Championships (21 by Gators)
  • 29 Individual Men’s and Women’s SEC Championships
  • 119 Men’s and Women’s USTFCCCA All-America Honors (95 by Gators)
  • 8 University of Florida School Records Broken
  • 6 IAAF World Championships Qualifiers
  • 3 USATF Outdoor Championships Gold Medals
  • 2 USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year Award
  • 6 USTFCCCA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year Awards
  • 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships Gold Medalist (Marquis Dendy)
  • 2015 The Bowerman Winner (Marquis Dendy)
  • 4 Olympians (Marquis Dendy, Will Claye, Yanis David, Dusty Jonas [Nebraska])
NCAA Champions Coached by Petersen
  • Jasmine Moore – 2023 NCAA Indoor Champion (Long Jump and Triple Jump), 2023 NCAA Outdoor Champion (Triple Jump), 2022 NCAA Indoor Champion (Long Jump and Triple Jump), 2022 NCAA Outdoor Champion (Long Jump and Triple Jump)
  • Yanis David – 2019 NCAA Indoor Champion (Triple Jump); 2019 NCAA Outdoor Champion (Long Jump)
  • KeAndre Bates – Two-time 2017 NCAA Outdoor Champion (Long Jump and Triple Jump); 2017 NCAA Indoor Champion (Long Jump)
  • Ciarra Brewer – 2015 NCAA Indoor Champion (Triple Jump)
  • Marquis Dendy – 2013 NCAA Indoor Champion (Long Jump); Two-time 2014 NCAA Outdoor Champion (Long Jump and Triple Jump); Two-time 2015 NCAA Indoor Champion (Long Jump and Triple Jump); Two-time 2015 NCAA Outdoor Champion (Long Jump and Triple Jump)
  • Omar Craddock – 2012 and 2013 NCAA Outdoor Champion (Triple Jump); 2012 NCAA Indoor Champion (Triple Jump)
  • Whitney Gipson (TCU) – 2012 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Champion (Long Jump)
  • Nicholas Gordon (Nebraska) – 2009 NCAA Indoor Champion (Long Jump)
  • Dusty Jonas (Nebraska) – 2008 NCAA Indoor Champion (High Jump)
Olympians, World Championships Qualifiers Coached by Petersen

Petersen has helped guide seven different athletes to the World Championships and or Olympics during his time as a Jumps Coach.
  • Jasmine Moore: (United States):
    • 2023 World Athletics Championships Qualifier (Triple Jump)
    • 2022 World Athletics Championships Qualifier (Long Jump and Triple Jump)
  • Marquis Dendy: (United States):
    • 2022 World Athletics Championships Qualifier (Long Jump), 2022 World Athletics Indoor Bronze Medalist (Long Jump); 2020 Olympian; 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships gold medalist (Long Jump); 2017 IAAF World Championships qualifier (Long Jump); 2015 IAAF World Championships qualifier (Long Jump, Triple Jump); 2013 IAAF World Championships qualifier (Long Jump); 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships gold medalist (Long Jump)
  • Will Claye: (United States):
    • 2020 Olympian; 2013 IAAF World Championships bronze medalist
  • Omar Craddock: (United States):
    • 2015 IAAF World Championships fourth-place finisher; 2013 IAAF World Championships qualifier; 2013 and 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships gold medalist
  • Nicholas Gordon: (Jamaica):
    • 2009 IAAF World Championships qualifier    
  • Dusty Jonas: (United States):
    • 2008 Olympian
  • Yanis David: (France):
    • 2020 Olympian, 2019 World Athletics Championships Qualifier
Awards Won by Petersen-Coached Jumpers
  • 2023 Honda Sport Award (Track and Field) – Jasmine Moore
  • 2023 USTFCCCA Outdoor National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year – Jasmine Moore
  • 2023 SEC Outdoor Women’s Field Athlete of the Year – Jasmine Moore
  • 2023 USTFCCCA Indoor National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year – Jasmine Moore
  • 2023 SEC Indoor Women’s Field Athlete of the Year – Jasmine Moore
  • 2022 SEC Outdoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year - Jasmine Moore
  • 2022 SEC Indoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year - Jasmine Moore
  • 2022 USTFCCCA Indoor Women's National Field Athlete of the Year - Jasmine Moore
  • 2019 USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Women’s National Field Athlete of the Year – Yanis David
  • 2019 SEC Indoor and Outdoor Women’s Field Athlete of the Year – Yanis David
  • 2019 Honda Sport Award (Track and Field) – Yanis David
  • 2017 USTFCCCA Indoor Men’s National Field Athlete of the Year – KeAndre Bates
  • 2017 SEC Indoor Men’s Field Athlete of the Year – KeAndre Bates
  • 2017 SEC Indoor Freshman Field Athlete of the Year – Clayton Brown
  • 2015 The Bowerman Award – Marquis Dendy
  • 2015 USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Men’s National Field Athlete of the Year – Marquis Dendy
  • 2015 USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor South Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year – Marquis Dendy
  • 2015 SEC Indoor and Outdoor Men’s Field Athlete of the Year – Marquis Dendy
  • 2014 SEC Outdoor Co-Women’s Field Athlete of the Year – Ciarra Brewer
  • 2013 USTFCCCA South Region Outdoor Men’s Field Athlete of the Year – Omar Craddock
  • 2013 USTFCCCA South Region Indoor Men’s Field Athlete of the Year – Marquis Dendy
  • 2012 Mountain West Conference Female Athlete of the Year – Whitney Gipson
Petersen’s Coaching Awards and Honors
  • 2023 USTFCCCA South Region Outdoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2023 USTFCCCA South Region Indoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2022 USTFCCCA National Outdoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2022 USTFCCCA South Region Outdoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2022 USTFCCCA National Indoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2022 USTFCCCA South Region Indoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2018 USTFCCCA South Region Outdoor Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2015 USTFCCCA South Region Indoor Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2012 USTFCCCA South Central Region Indoor Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
  • 2010 USATF Emerging Elite Coaches Camp attendee
  • 2010 World Junior Coaching Seminar & Tutorial attendee
Coaching History
  • Florida – Associate Head Coach (men’s program) – Jumps (2022-Present)
  • Florida – Assistant Men’s and Women’s Coach – Jumps (2013-2021)
  • TCU – Assistant Men’s and Women’s Coach – Jumps, Multi-Events (2010-12)
  • Nebraska – Volunteer Assistant Coach – Jumps (2008-09)
Personal

Petersen graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2006, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics.
 
During his time in Lincoln, Petersen captained three Big 12 Conference championship-winning teams. He was also part of three Huskers squads that received USTFCCCA All-Academic Team plaudits.

The Omaha, Neb. native is married to the former Kerri Hanks, a four-time women’s soccer All-American and one of five two-time MAC Hermann Trophy winners in the 29-year history of the award, college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy, for the University of Notre Dame from 2005-08.

The Petersens have two sons, Greyson and Cole.

Quick Links