Southern Virginia University

MJ Nelson joined the Sports Performance staff in 2018. He graduated from Southern Virginia with a degree in Liberal Arts and a concentration in coaching.
 
Nelson also spent five years as an Assistant Coach for the Knights track and field team before joining Sports Performance full-time. He oversaw the sprints and horizontal jumps. 

Under his guidance, student-athletes flourished in events ranging from the 100m dash to the triple jump. He helped the men's and women's teams to a combined four conference championships from 2022-2023, including dozens of individual titles. He was also instrumental in helping Daniel De La Cruz qualify for the 2023 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships in the 400m hurdles. 
 
Before his arrival in Buena Vista, Nelson was an Assistant Coach for Simi Valley High School's track and field teams in California. He held that role for four years while serving as an Assistant Football Coach at Westlake High school for one year. Nelson became a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine while working for 24 Hour Fitness. 
 
Nelson is a USATF Level I certified coach. He lives in Lexington with his wife, Lauren, and two daughters, Kennedy and Teagan.