ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Missouri Western women's basketball head coach Luke Scheidecker announced the additions of Olivia Nelson and Darvin Gill to his coaching staff Wednesday.

Nelson just concluded a highly decorated playing career, spending four seasons at Central Missouri before becoming a first team All-Big Sky Conference player at Idaho this past season.

She was a three-time all-MIAA selection while playing for the Jennies from 2020-2024.

"I am thrilled to welcome Olivia to my staff," Scheidecker said. "When building my staff, I wanted to prioritize hiring coaches with a proven track record of success."

"Olivia has had incredible success in every stop and has consistently achieved winning at every level of her career, spanning from high school to college. Her knowledge and experience with the league will be invaluable."

Gill joins Missouri Western after spending the last two years as an assistant women's basketball coach at Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), where he helped lead his team to a single-season record 28 wins this past season and an appearance in the Chipotle Nationals championship game.

"I am extremely excited to add Darvin to the staff," Scheidecker added. "Success has followed Darvin wherever he's gone. He's had experience at every level from Division I to Division II to the top high school program in the country."

Gill brings more than 20 years of coaching experience in all, with assistant stops at The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.), NCAA Division II Christian Brothers University (Memphis, Tenn.), White County High School (Sparta, Tenn.), Cannon County High School (Woodbury, Tenn.) and DeKalb County High School (Smithville, Tenn.).

A Smithville, Tennessee native, Gill worked at the Division I level at his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University, serving as Video/Advance Scout Coordinator from 2019-21. He was part of a women's basketball team that won both the Conference USA regular season and conference championship in 2021.

Gill was previously head coach with the Tennessee Flight – an elite travel program within the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) – from 2013-2019, while also serving as head women's basketball coach at Rhea County High School (Evensville, Tenn.) from 2016-19.

Gill was named as a Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee (BCAT) East All-Stars Head Coach in 2019. He's a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and earned Conference and District Coach of the Year honors in 2017 and 2018.

Nelson had a remarkable career at Central Missouri under former Missouri Western head coach and Hall of Famer Dave Slifer. In four years at UCM, Nelson averaged 13.4 points per game, shooting 561-for-1183 (47.4%) from the field over 117 starts.
Nelson was a two-time All-MIAA Second Team selection, she was named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team and received an All-MIAA Honorable Mention nod as well.

After her time at UCM, Nelson finished her college career at Division I University of Idaho under head coach Carrie Eighmey. Nelson was honored as the unanimous Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year and secured a spot on the Big Sky First Team.

Nelson started all 30 games for the Vandals in 2024-25, averaging 14.4 points per game with a shooting percentage of 41.9% (153-for-365). She joined the prestigious 2,000-point club in her final collegiate game against Montana in the Big Sky Conference Tournament.

Nelson, a Liberty, Missouri native, obtained her master's degree in chemistry from Idaho in 2025, following the completion of her bachelor's degrees in chemistry and secondary education from Central Missouri in 2024.