Rival cross-country coaches marry during the holiday season

Vicksburg residents Nicole Small and Eric Solis married Dec. 19 at a small ceremony held with close family and friends.

In the summer of 2019, Solis, head cross-country coach at Clinton High School, messaged Small, head cross-country coach at Warren Central High School, about hosting a meet. From that point on, Small and Solis began communicating almost every day until Small made the first bold move.

In June 2019, Small mentioned to Solis that she was going to the Strand Theater to see “The Goonies” and asked if he wanted to tag along. The movie marked the two coaches’ first date.

Although Small and Solis coached at different schools, and both are very competitive, they managed to keep their love alive.

On Nov. 15, Solis arranged for his daughter to be in town from Arkansas to witness his proposal to his new found love.

Small and Solis married just one month and four days later in his home in Vicksburg that the two now share.

Although the two are happily married, they do not look past the fact that they are still rival head coaches.

“The house is divided when its rival week,” Nicole Solis said jokingly.

“We just say hello at the meets,” Eric Solis added, “and I still call her coach.”

As much as the two want to be in the serious coaching mode at their cross country meets, he always caves in and buys her favorite Gatorade and Snickers candy bar before they go up against each other.

Nicole and Eric Solis have many people rooting for them to have a happy and everlasting marriage.