Doc Nix Says On a scale from 1 to 5, how fresh is...
Dr. Michael Nickens, more commonly known as Doc Nix, has attracted a nationwide audience and has, in many ways, become the face of Mason basketball. “Taking it up a notch and wearing something that stands out just gives everyone that cue and gives me permission to get in front of people and encourage them to clap and sing along,” Doc Nix said. “It’s kind of a code for, ‘Pay attention to this. This is part of the performance.’”
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hile continuing his work as an assistant professor in the School of Music, his alter ego has charmed the NCAA landscape for six years, bringing doubt to which persona is the most real. “It’s like asking, ‘Is Bruce Wayne the real guy or is Batman the real guy? Is Clark Kent the
“It’s like asking, ‘Is Bruce Wayne the real guy or is Batman the real guy? Is Clark Kent or is Superman the real guy? Is Dr. Michael Nickens the real guy or is Doc Nix the real guy?’ It’s hard to say what’s what.”
20 • Courtside Seats
The Homecoming Crowd?
Paul Hewitt’s zoot suit?
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“Don’t get me wrong: Loved the tents and tailgates. Loved seeing old and new friends side by side. But I want more people singing, stomping, dancing, clapping and cheering! We shouldn’t even need the stadium seating because everyone is on their feet the whole game!”
real guy or is Superman the real guy? Is Dr. Michael Nickens the real guy or is Doc Nix the real guy?’ It’s hard to say what’s what,” Doc Nix said. As a drum major at West Potomac High School, Doc Nix noticed that, as a member of the marching band, he could control an entire football stadium from one spot on the field. He brought the idea to Fairfax just one year after Mason’s historical run to the Final Four and continues to breathe life into a crowded arena. Despite the Patriots’ inability to unseat No. 5 Notre Dame in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Doc Nix made a huge splash in the college basketball landscape as the Green Machine was recognized by a number of sports writers as the most spirited pep band in the nation. “We were at one game – and we were
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“No way to not give it a 5 at Mason Madness, but it can’t earn it’s full potential if it’s just hanging in a closet somewhere. Where has it been?”
never really in the game,” Doc Nix said. “We were at one game and lost, but we still made enough of an impact to earn that kind of shout-out. Man, that feels so good.” Last season, Doc Nix and a number of other band directors within the CAA began hosting an event called “Breakfast with the Bands” that is held on the Saturday morning of the CAA Tournament in Richmond.
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roviding a unique link between music and athletics, the Green Machine won the 2006 NCAA Final Four “Battle of the Bands” and were named the 2008 and 2009 CAA “Best Pep Band” by CAAZone. com all the while providing one of the best home court advantages in the entire nation. Doc Nix and the Green Machine have been a driving force behind the Patriots’ incredible success inside the Patriot Center.