The Real Joel Nuckols

    Such was the case several weeks ago when Steve Hickman announced that Joel Nuckols – teacher of classics, coach, advisor, and college counselor – was closing down shop after 36 years on North Mooreland Road.
    Hickman’s statement certainly did Nuckols justice.
    An extraordinary run.  Dedicated and committed to the development of each student.  Tireless and humble.  Guiding moral force of the Honor Council.
    Student-centered approach to coaching. Brilliant mind.  Passion for scholarship.  Recognition that young people span a range of intellectual readiness.
    Mentor.  Gifted leader.  Steadfast.  A confidant and faithful friend to students and faculty alike.
     Good stuff, don’t you think?
    But there’s more. Actually, much more.
    You see, there’s another side of Joel Nuckols…and it’s all good.
    Anyone who knows Joel well knows he’s never been afraid to get his hands dirty.  To him, no task is too menial, messy, challenging, or inconvenient.
    Joel grew up in Rockville in Western Hanover County and to this day maintains a fairly large garden on his parents’ property.  
    He’s quite a handyman, often using his instincts rather than any how-to manual to perform tasks such as repairing appliances, laying flooring, installing siding, and building sheds.
    He’s painted more houses than he could ever count and can document his adventures with a slew of humorous vignettes.
    For years beginning when he was 15, he worked first for W.R. Stansbury Bros. Later, he joined a group of Collegiate colleagues in a loosely-knit consortium called Conshi and plied his trade for another decade.
    Along the way, he worked from heights and angles that defied the laws of physics, fell off ladders numerous times, and, seemingly unfazed, always bounced back up and carried on as if nothing had happened.
    He became a runner back in the 70’s to get in shape for rugby and eventually completed 18 marathons as well as many shorter races.
    He and his wife Becky cared for his elderly parents until their passing so that they could remain in their home, and he was a loyal caregiver for Justin Rybacki, a multiple sclerosis patient whom he met through St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
    Joel coached JV football and baseball (Cub and varsity) from the time he arrived in 1978 and even pulled a stint as JV soccer coach when the sport was contested in the winter.
    In 1998, he was the second-ever recipient of the Andrew J. Brent Award, which honors an individual who exemplifies “the teacher, coach, mentor, counselor, and friend model that is so vital in an independent school.”
    As each of seven grandchildren entered his world, he proved to be something of a “baby whisperer” who could gently and effortlessly calm a crying infant.
    Joel has an incredible depth and breadth of knowledge and can speak articulately and often humorously on a wide variety of topics from literature to history to sports to current events to rock and roll lyrics and movie lines.
    Truly, his “brand” is old-school values: team-first, loyalty, compassion, respect, and true, honest-to-goodness friendship.
    Spend time with him, and he’ll give you the impression that nothing he’s every done is a big deal.  That’s because you’d be hard pressed to find a more self-effacing guy anywhere.
    “Joel is dedicated to his students and athletes,” said Charlie McFall, Collegiate’s retired AD and football coach.  “He’s one of the all-time great teachers and coaches in Collegiate history, a real institution.
    “He showed up for work every day ready to go and always gave 100 percent to whatever he was doing.”
    Getting Joel to talk about himself is a tall order.
    “I’m sort of a displaced house painter more than anything,” he says with a laugh.  “I approach things with that mentality. 
    "You want to do the best job you can. You want it to look good when you finish it.”
    He will, though, talk about his professional inspirations.
    “Collegiate’s been awesome,” he continued.  “Petey Jacobs was one of the greatest coaches ever.
    “He had over his desk that said, ‘It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.’  He totally lived that out.  He was competitive.  He wanted to win.  His teams were very successful, but at the end of the day, he was such a great sportsman.
    “He did all he could to make everyone around him successful.
    “Buck Pitt was a great leader, but always understated.  He would wait for you to say your peace, and he’d add on one or two lines of his own to sum it up.  He had a dignified manner about him.  He let people be who they were.  I always appreciated that.
    “And there were Grover Jones, Julia Williams, Bill O’Flaherty, and  Bill Woolford.  They had experience in life and didn’t mind sharing it with you. They were people you could really look up to and respect.
    “Their legacy is still around Collegiate and is part of the core values.”
    Speaking of legacy, I asked Joel how he would like to be remembered?
    He thought for a moment.
    “As somebody who’s kind and tried to help build the school,” he replied. “Certainly I’d like to be remembered as (a teacher who was) knowledgeable in the field and challenged students to go a little deeper in their knowledge of etymology, grammar, and culture. I’ve tried to get every student to put forth their best effort.
    “Coaching…I wanted to win as much as anybody else, but I wanted to do it the right way.”
    Then he smiled again.
    “But really,” he said. “I think they shouldn’t remember me.  They should just move on.”
    Sorry, my friend.
    Not a chance.
            --Weldon Bradshaw