Darris Nichols
{{Short description|American basketball coach (born 1986)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Darris Nichols
| image = File:Darris Nichols.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Nichols in 2016
| position = Head coach
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 200
| league = Atlantic 10 Conference
| team = La Salle Explorers
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|5|20|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Radford, Virginia, U.S.
| high_school = Radford (Radford, Virginia)
| college = West Virginia (2004–2008)
| draft_year = 2008
| career_start = 2008
| career_end = 2009
| career_position = Point guard
| career_number = 14
| coach_start = 2010
| coach_end =
| years1 = 2008–2009
| team1 = Atomerőmű SE
| cyears1 = 2010–2011
| cteam1 = West Virginia (graduate assistant)
| cyears2 = 2011–2013
| cteam2 = Northern Kentucky (assistant)
| cyears3 = 2013–2014
| cteam3 = Wofford (assistant)
| cyears4 = 2014–2015
| cteam4 = Louisiana Tech (assistant)
| cyears5 = 2015–2021
| cteam5 = Florida (assistant)
| cyears6 = 2021–2025
| cteam6 = Radford
| cyears7 = 2025–present
| cteam7 = La Salle
| highlights =
}}
Darris Nichols (born May 20, 1986) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach at La Salle University, a role he has held since 2025.{{cite press release|url=https://goexplorers.com/news/2025/3/11/mens-basketball-la-salle-university-names-darris-nichols-head-mens-basketball-coach.aspx|title=La Salle University Names Darris Nichols Head Men’s Basketball Coach|publisher=La Salle Explorers|date=March 11, 2025|access-date=March 11, 2025}} He was previously the head coach at Radford University.{{cite web |title=Darris Nichols Announced as Radford Men's Basketball Head Coach |url=https://radfordathletics.com/news/2021/4/21/mens-basketball-darris-nichols-announced-as-radford-mens-basketball-head-coach.aspx |website=Radford University Athletics |date=21 April 2021 |access-date=8 May 2021}}
Playing career
= College =
Nichols played college basketball at West Virginia, where he was a four-year letterman who played in 144 games during his four-year career.{{cite web |title=New Gators Assistants Have a Competitive History; Pumped to Join White at UF |url=https://floridagators.com/news/2015/5/11/30606.aspx |website=Florida Gators |access-date=8 May 2021}}
= Professional =
After going undrafted out of college, Nichols went on to play professionally for Atomerőmű SE, a professional team in Hungary for one season that went 10-1 and won the Hungarian cup before suffering a knee injury that ended his playing career.{{cite web |title=Darris Nichols helyére új légióst keres az Atomerőmű |url=https://www.teol.hu/tolna/sport-tolna/darris-nichols-helyere-uj-legiost-keres-az-atomeromu-205435/ |website=TEOL a Tolna megyei hírportál |access-date=8 May 2021}}
Coaching career
After one season playing professionally overseas, Nichols turned to his former college coach Bob Huggins to begin a coaching career, starting at his alma mater West Virginia as a graduate assistant.{{cite web |title=WVU v. Florida: The nick of time |url=http://blogs.wvgazettemail.com/wvu/2016/01/30/wvu-v-florida-the-nick-of-time/ |website=Charleston Gazette-Mail |date=30 January 2016 |access-date=8 May 2021}} He was named an assistant at Northern Kentucky in 2011 and spent two seasons with the team before spending a season each with Wofford and Louisiana Tech.{{cite web |title=NKU's Bezold adds former West Virginia standout Nichols to coaching staff |url=https://nkunorse.com/news/2011/8/16/MBB_0816111613.aspx |website=Northern Kentucky University Athletics |access-date=8 May 2021}}{{cite web |title=White Completes @LATechHoops Coaching Staff with Nichols |url=https://latechsports.com/news/2014/6/26/White_Completes_LATechHoops_Coaching_Staff_with_Nichols.aspx |website=LA Tech Athletics |date=26 June 2014 |access-date=8 May 2021}} He joined the coaching staff at Florida in 2015 as an assistant on former Louisiana Tech head coach Mike White's staff.
= Radford =
Nichols was named the head coach at Radford on April 21, 2021.
In year two, Radford went 21-15, finishing tied for second in the Big South Conference and advanced to post-season play, participating in the CBI Tournament. Radford had a 9 game winning streak in league play.
DUI arrest
In February 2023, Nichols was arrestedhttps://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/02/21/radford-university-mens-basketball-coach-charged-with-dui/ and ultimately pled guiltyhttps://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/16/radford-basketball-coach-to-head-back-to-court-after-positive-interlock-reading/ to DUI after recording a blood-alcohol-content (BAC) reading of 0.25, triple the legal limit in Virginia. Nichols was suspended for several games at Radford but returned to coaching a few weeks later. https://hoopdirt.com/report-radfords-nichols-headed-back-to-court-following-positive-interlock-reading/
Head coaching record
{{CBB yearly record start|type=coach|conference=|postseason=}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Radford Highlanders
| conference = Big South Conference
| startyear = 2021
| endyear = 2025
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2021–22
| name = Radford
| overall = 11–18
| conference = 7–9
| confstanding = T–3rd (North)
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2022–23
| name = Radford
| overall = 21–15
| conference = 12–6
| confstanding = T–2nd
| postseason = CBI Semifinals
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2023–24
| name = Radford
| overall = 16–17
| conference = 5–11
| confstanding = T–8th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2024–25
| name = Radford
| overall = 20–13
| conference = 9–7
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = Radford
| overall = {{winning percentage|68|63|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winning percentage|33|33|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = La Salle Explorers
| conference = Atlantic 10 Conference
| startyear = 2025
| endyear =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2025–26
| name = La Salle
| overall = 0–0
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding =
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = La Salle
| overall = {{winpct|0|0|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|0|0|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB yearly record end
| overall = {{winning percentage|68|63|record=y}}
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://radfordathletics.com/staff-directory/darris-nichols/356 Radford Highlanders profile]
- [https://floridagators.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/darris-nichols/1204 Florida Gators profile]
- [https://latechsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/darris-nichols/164 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs profile]
- [https://wvusports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/darris-nichols/12702 West Virginia Mountaineers profile]
{{Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{La Salle Explorers men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Radford Highlanders men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Darris}}
Category:Basketball coaches from Virginia
Category:Basketball players from Virginia
Category:Florida Gators men's basketball coaches
Category:La Salle Explorers men's basketball coaches
Category:Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball coaches
Category:Northern Kentucky Norse men's basketball coaches
Category:People from Radford, Virginia
Category:Radford Highlanders men's basketball coaches
Category:West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball coaches
Category:West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball players