ELLENSBURG, Wash. -- Dean Nicholson, one of the greatest basketball coaches in college basketball history, will be in attendance and honored at the 2017 Hall of Fame Banquet on May 20 in the SURC Ballroom, as the Hall of Fame committee has decided to retire his #10 jersey as a part of the ceremony that starts at 5 p.m.
 
Nicholson, who won 889 games in his career that spanned five decades, is the school's all-time leader in career wins.  At Central Washington, he won a total of 609 games over 26 years and guided his teams into the NAIA Final Four six times, placing second in 1970.  The 1970 team won 31 games, including a school-record 25 straight, and Nicholson was voted NAIA National Coach of the Year.  He earned NAIA District 1 Coach of the Year honors seven different times, and in 1987 he was one of five coaches named to the NAIA's 50^th anniversary all-time team.
 
Nicholson is a member of three hall of fames – The Washington State Basketball Coaches Association HOF, the NAIA HOF, and the CWU HOF.
 
Dean and his father Leo are the winningest father-son coaching combination in the history of collegiate basketball with 1,114 victories at the four-year level.
 
Dean was also enjoyed a great playing career at Central Washington.  He earned all-conference honors four-straight seasons, leading the Wildcats to a conference title in 1947, and their first NAIA National Tournament berth in 1950.
 
He totaled 1,377 points in his career which still ranks 10^th all-time.  In addition to basketball, Nicholson also lettered in tennis and baseball, leading the Evergreen Conference in hitting in 1950.
 
Dean Nicholson was also a leader at CWU, being elected student body president and earning a bachelor of arts degree in 1950.

For tickets to the 2017 HOF Banquet click here.