Daily Deposits: USA Wrestling Coach’s Corner feature on Nick Slack
Photo: Nick Slack (right) coaching Team Arizona in Fargo alongside two-time Olympian Kayla Miracle (left).
Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 32 Issue 4, which printed on Dec. 19, 2025.
By Tristan Warner
Humility. Togetherness. Camaraderie. Servant leadership. All of these characteristics were embodied by Nick Slack’s teammates and coaches at Augsburg.
A 2000 NCAA DIII champion and three-time finalist, Slack was a key cog in the Auggies’ three consecutive team titles from 2000-02.
Inspired by the network of alumni coaches he was fortunate enough to train with, Slack, who began selling sporting goods right after graduation, stuck around for nearly a decade, first as an assistant coach and later a volunteer.
“The cool thing about going to Augsburg was that there were between 8-12 assistant coaches, all alumni, who had wrestled in the program,” Slack explained. “Guys were getting paid peanuts but wanted to be a part of a national championship program and give back.
“It was a huge advantage,” he continued. “I was wrestling with coaches who were All-Americans and NCAA champions. When it came time for me to be done, Jeff Swenson (then head coach) hired me the next week.”
All while navigating a full-time sporting goods sales role, which eventually became his own venture, Nick Slack Sales, the former Auggie held multiple coaching stints, including at Shakopee High School. He continued to coach camps and run clinics. In fact, for more than a quarter-century now, Slack has given back to the sport in the form of free mentorship.
“Wrestling had given me a lot,” he said. “I’m not going to get rich doing these clinics, so I decided to do it for free. It was so fulfilling. I started doing a clinic once a month to give back to a different program each time. For over 25 years I have done 300 wrestling-related talks or clinics for free, and as someone who cares about growing the sport, I pride myself on that.”
From the outside looking in, Slack has long been a poised, confident leader who exudes positivity. Internally, however, he has battled a 30-plus year bout with depression.
Seeking a fresh start, he left his lifelong home in The Land of 10,000 Lakes and relocated to Arizona in November of 2022.
“Both sets of my grandparents were snowbirds in Arizona,” Slack said. “I had been coming down once or twice a year for 30 years, and I found myself happiest when it was sunny and warm. Since I could work from home, I decided to make the change.”
Now also working as a sales rep for Resilite, Slack volunteers with national powerhouse Valiant Prep, founded by former NCAA champ and Dan Hodge Trophy winner Eric Larkin.
“Coaching in any capacity is super rewarding,” he said. “I always try to be the best part of a kid’s day. Kids are dealing with other stuff in life. Be there for them and talk to them. Something as small as a high five or saying hello brightens their day.
“Wrestling is a tough sport. Only 2-3% are going to go into college and wrestle, so I always try to instill in these guys to be a good person. Lessons are going to be carried past this wrestling room. Wrestling will help you get through tough situations.”
If anyone knows a thing or two about overcoming tough situations, Slack is among them. Aside from the near lifelong depression battle, Slack was in a terrible car accident in 2019 in Minneapolis. Somehow, perhaps through divine intervention, he walked away completely unscathed despite his car being plowed into by a fully-loaded semi-tanker truck.
“I was driving to a wrestling clinic at the University of Minnesota to set up as a vendor and was stuck in a bad traffic jam,” Slack said. “He smashed right into the back of me and drove my car into the median. The car was completely crushed front and back.
“I have always been pretty faithful and a grateful person, but this could have been the end. Donny Wichmann, my coach at Augsburg, had died earlier that year from a brain tumor. He was really close with me. The accident was three miles from his house, so I felt like he was watching over me.”
Shortly after his arrival in Arizona, Slack received some scary health news. He had visited an ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) clinic and, after a series of tests, was told a benign brain tumor was detected.
“I told the doctor I dealt with anxiety and depression for 30 years and always felt there was something else involved. Something else was contributing.
“He looked at the numbers and said something is not right. Within 48 hours I had an MRI and they found a tumor. This thing could have been in there for 30 years.”
Slack’s tumor was successfully removed via surgery, but not long after, the monthly blood test numbers took a downturn.
“The type of cells I have are the rarest .0001% of tumor cells, so they are known to come back. I made it about a year and a half but got a scan after returning home from NCAAs in March of 2025, and the numbers weren’t good.
“I tell people I don’t think about this a lot. I feel super thankful and grateful. I live like nothing is wrong.”
Slack has evolved into more of a life coach these days, posting poignant Instagram videos (@NickSlack1) and messages almost daily, inspiring and motivating his followers to focus on gratitude and getting 1% better every day.
“So many people get caught up in everything they have to get done instead of just trying to get a little bit better each day. Jeff Swenson used the 1%-better philosophy 20 years ago at Augsburg. Just make little daily deposits.”
Slack’s faith has been his guiding light through all of this. He does a Bible study every morning for 14 minutes and 24 seconds, which equates to 1% of the day. Then he journals for 14:24.
As he continues to press forward each day, focusing only on the controllables, Slack was overcome with emotion while reflecting on the outpouring of support he has received.
“I got a message from a person from Augsburg who had been thinking about taking his own life, but he saw my videos on social media and used my story to help him get through what he was going through. Now, he shares my videos with his athletes.
“I realized I am making a difference in what I am doing. I am looking at myself as someone who is setting a good example of staying positive despite the challenges.”
Long after the wins and losses have faded, Nick Slack’s greatest legacy remains unchanged: teaching others how to stand strong when life tries to take them down.
