Jim Bickel
Assistant Head Coach/
Defensive Coordinator
ph: (614) 236-6953
jbickel@capital.edu
Jim Bickel is in his fifth season as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and assistant athletic director at Capital.

Bickel’s impact on the Capital program has been a smart, aggressive defense that has produced a national defensive player of the year, an All-American player each season and three years ago a school-record 27 interceptions on his way to OAC Assistant Coach of the Year honors.

Bickel has been a part of college football in Central Ohio for the past 29 seasons, beginning in 1977 when he became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Denison University in Granville, Ohio. In 21 seasons with the Big Red, Bickel coached both the offensive and defensive lines for a combined nine seasons and was defensive coordinator for 12 seasons. Through his tenure as defensive coordinator, Denison won a pair of North Coast Athletic Conference Championships (1985-86) and one NCAA Division III Playoff appearance (1985). Aside from his football coaching duties, he was an assistant professor of physical education and an assistant baseball coach. In 1999, Bickel came to Columbus to become the defensive coordinator at Otterbein College. In 2000, his Cardinal defense led the OAC in passing defense and was third in total defense. A certified strength and conditioning specialist, he was also the team’s strength and conditioning coach, an instructor within the department of physical education and intramural sports director.

Bickel also serves as assistant athletic director at Capital and is responsible for game management for the Crusaders eight spring sports (baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s track & field).

The Newark, Ohio, native holds a bachelor’s degree from Denison (1977) in speech communications and economics and a master’s degree in physical education from Ohio State (1981). He and his wife, Kathy, reside in Columbus and have three grown children and five grandchildren.