Nurse spent 12 seasons coaching in Europe, mostly in the British Basketball League (BBL). He won the BBL Coach of the Year Award in 1999–00 and 2003–04. The Energy won division titles under Nurse in the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons. After three seasons with the team, Nurse agreed to join the coaching staff of the Iowa State Cyclones as an associate head coach in April 2010. Shortly afterward, however, Cyclones head coach Greg McDermott became the head coach at Creighton, and Nurse went back to his former position with the Energy.