Radford University Athletics

Darris Nichols enters his fourth season as the head coach for the Radford men's basketball program in 2024-25. The native son of Radford, Virginia returned home and was named the eighth head coach in program history in April 2021.

Over his first four seasons, Nichols has completely reintegrated the Highlanders back into championship contenders in the Big South, and he has already advanced the squad to the postseason with a CBI appearance in 2022-23.

2024-25
Nichols and the Highlanders got off to their best start to a season in 36 years as Radford went 9-2 to open the 2024-25 campaign. The Highlanders also received one of their best NET rankings in program history, and the highest under Nichols, coming in at No. 100 in the NET back in early December. The group also captured the championship at the 2024 Sunshine Slam, where Jarvis Moss was named the tournament's MVP. It was the squad's second straight MTE title. Nichols also extended a standout streak as the Highlanders are still undefeated at home in December under his watch.

2023-24
Radford started off the 2023-24 campaign strong with a 10-4 mark overall before injuries started to derail the season as the squad approached conference play. The Highlanders won the 2023 Cancun Challenege, where DaQuan Smith was named Tournament MVP, and also knocked off West Virginia in Morgantown, Radford's first Power 5 win in five years. The Highlanders advanced to the conference tournament, where they won their opening round game, before falling in the quarterfinals. Smith was named Big South Second Team All-Conference while Chandler Turner joined him as an All-Academic Team honoree.

2022-23
Nichols' plan to return the Highlanders to their winning ways came to fruition in just his second season at the helm, leading the program to a 21-15 overall record, including a 12-6 mark in Big South play. Radford came just one point away from playing in the conference championship game, but still earned a bid to the College Basketball Invitational. It was the first postseason appearance for the Highlanders since the 2019-2020 campaign. With wins over Tarleton State and San Jose State in the CBI, the Highlanders won multiple postseason contests in the same season for the first time in program history. The team's success can be attributed to the incredible recruiting effort Nichols and his staff displayed in the offseason. With just three returners coming back from the 2021-22 roster, the Radford coaching staff secured commitments from a number of difference-making players - former 5-star All-American Bryan Antoine (Villanova), DaQuan Smith (Murray State), Justin Archer (Florida SouthWestern), Madiaw Niang (Florida Atlantic), Onyebuchi Ezeakudo (Pittsburgh) and Souleymane Koureissi (Richmond).

2021-22
A 11-18 record in his debut season represented the most wins and best winning percentage for a first-year head coach at Radford since Ron Bradley lead the Highlanders to a 20-9 record in 1991-92. After a slow start to the year, the Highlanders came on strong late, including winning four of their last five regular season contests to end the season on a positive note. It was a positive sign of what was to come for the program in the very near future.

PRIOR TO RADFORD
Before returning to the New River Valley, Nichols spent six seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Florida. While at Florida he helped coach the Gators to a 123-75 record that included four straight 20-win seasons. Nichols and the Gators also tallied four straight NCAA Tournament bids.

The 2016-17 season was one of the best while Nichols was with the Gators. Florida earned a 27-9 record and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators finished second in the SEC with a mark of 14-4 in conference play, matching the second-most conference wins in team history. Florida climbed as high as 12th nationally in both the AP and Coaches Polls and hit No. 3 in both the RPI and KenPom rankings.

Prior to his six-year stint at Florida, Nichols was an assistant at Louisiana Tech under head coach Mike White during the 2014-15 season. He helped guide Louisiana Tech to the 2015 Conference USA Championship as guard Kenneth "Speedy" Smith garnered C-USA Player of the Year and AP All-American honors. The Bulldogs went 27-9 overall on the season and advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals. The 2014-15 season also produced a 15-3 conference mark and a perfect 17-0 home record.

In one year as an assistant at Wofford in 2013-14, Nichols helped guide the Terriers, who were picked to finish sixth in the league by the coaches in the preseason, to a 20-win season and a Southern Conference Tournament Championship, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In that NCAA Tournament game, Nichols was on the opposite bench from his former head coach as Beilein's Michigan team topped the 15-seed Wofford. The Terriers finished 20-13 overall, which included a 11-5 mark in SoCon play.

Prior to joining Wofford, Nichols spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Kentucky University where he helped transition the Norse from Division II to Division I. In 2012-13, Nichols was the defensive coordinator of the staff and the squad ranked second in the Atlantic Sun in scoring defense, while also being two wins shy of tying the record for most ever by a Division I transitional team. In the process, Nichols developed Eshaunte Jones who was named Atlantic Sun All-Conference First Team. The Norse finished with an 11-16 mark, including 9-9 in the A-Sun. In his first year at Northern Kentucky, the team went 23-7 overall, tying the school record for best start in school history (13-0). NKU also advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The guards, coached by Nichols, led the GLVC in three-point field goal percentage and three-point field goals made.

ESPN'S 40 UNDER 40 HONOR
Nichols garnered a spot on ESPN.com's prestigious 40 Under 40 list in the Summer of 2020 as one of the most influential people in the game of college men's basketball under the age of 40. He was rated No. 17 on the national list that included both head and assistant coaches. He was also ranked as the No. 2 assistant coach in the SEC.

COLLEGE PLAYING CAREER (WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY)
Nichols shined as a student-athlete in the Big East as a four-year standout at West Virginia under legendary coaches Bob Huggins and John Beilein. He was a talented point guard who was the leader of the Mountaineers offense. As a senior, Nichols helped the Mountaineers to a 26-11 record and a trip all the way to the 2008 NCAA Sweet 16. He scored 993 career points and dished out 399 career assists, all while shooting at a .375 clip from three-point range. He averaged 10.7 points per game as well as 3.2 assists per contest on WVU's Sweet 16 run in his final season. Nichols was also a member of the 2007 NIT Championship squad (where he was named to the NIT All-Tournament Team), and advanced to both the 2006 Sweet 16 and the 2005 Elite Eight with the Mountaineers. He finished his collegiate career as a top-five most winningest player in West Virginia program history. To go with his play on the court, Nichols was selected as a Big East Academic All-Star and Sportsmanship award winner twice and was a multi-time member of WVU's Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll. He was also selected as the 2008 Fred Schaus Captain Award for West Virginia Athletics.

PROFESSIONAL PLAYING CAREER
Following his graduation from West Virginia, Nichols played professionally overseas with Atomeromu SE of the Hungarian League's A Division. He led the team to a 10-1 record overall and won the Hungarian Cup before a knee injury ended his playing career. Even after the injury, Nichols knew his calling and returned to the coaching ranks to begin his career. He returned to his Alma Mater immediately to work with the basketball coaching staff throughout the season and coordinating summer camps.

PERSONAL
Nichols earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from West Virginia University and is married to the former Courtnie McKinney. He is the son of William and Donna Nichols, and his father was an All-American student-athlete at Berea College in Kentucky. Radford is home to Nichols, as he is both a Radford, Virginia native and was an absolute star at Radford High School. During his high school days, Nichols was named the Roanoke Times's All-Timesland Player of the Year as a senior under head coach Rick Cormany. He completed a brilliant career as Radford High's point guard by leading the Bobcats to the Group A Final Four for the third time during his senior campaign, when he averaged 24.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. He concluded his high school career with 2,005 points. In October 2021, Nichols was inducted into the Radford High School Hall of Fame alongside his brother and current assistant, Shane.

COACHING TIMELINE
- Radford University Head Coach (2021-Present)
- University of Florida Assistant Coach (2015-21)
- Louisiana Tech Assistant Coach (2014-15)
- Wofford College Assistant Coach (2013-14)
- Northern Kentucky University Assistant Coach (2011-13)
- West Virginia University Graduate Assistant (2010-11)

FORMER STUDENT-ATHLETES IN THE NBA
- Dorian Finney-Smith (Florida, Undrafted, Nine Seasons and Counting with Dallas and Brooklyn)
- Devin Robinson (Florida, Undrafted, Two Seasons with Washington and Still Playing Pro Ball)
- Chris Chiozza (Florida, NBA Champion, Undrafted, One Season with Houston, Washington, Brooklyn and Golden State and Still Playing Pro Ball)

YEAR-BY-YEAR HEAD COACHING RECORD

YEAR	POSITION	OVERALL RECORD	CONFERENCE RECORD	CONFERENCE FINISH	POSTSEASON
2024-2025	Head Coach	10-6	0-1	-	-
2023-2024	Head Coach	16-17	5-11	T-8th	-
2022-2023	Head Coach	21-15	12-6	T-2nd	CBI Semifinals
2021-2022	Head Coach	11-18	7-9	T-3rd	-
	TOTAL (4 Seasons)	58-56 (.509)	24-27 (.471)	-	1 CBI Apperance

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT DARRIS NICHOLS
"Darris is many things. A former great player, a leader, a great teammate, an old soul, a consistent grinder, an ethical worker, a commanding presence on the court and an awesome human being. It is a big-time hire by Radford! He is more than ready to come home."
– Mike White, Florida Men's Basketball Head Coach
 
"Congratulations to Darris. I am extremely proud of him. I have always known he was going to be a head coach, basically when he knew all the sets better than I did. I want to wish him good luck, and I am hoping he will come to Morgantown and see us, along with his team."
– Bob Huggins, West Virginia Men's Basketball Head Coach
 
“Darris Nichols is a lot of things. He is a wonderful man. He is an excellent basketball coach and will be a terrific ambassador, not only for Radford University basketball but for Radford University as a whole. I have known Darris for many years. I have had the opportunity to work with him back in 2014. His mother and father are exceptional people. I know he is thrilled to have the opportunity to be a Division I men's basketball head coach and do it in a city that he's very familiar with. I am happy for him and for Radford University. He is going to do an excellent job, and I look forward to following his progress."
– Mike Young, Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Head Coach
 
"Darris Nichols is a rising star in the world of coaching college basketball. We have remained in close contact from the time he played for us at WVU. He has always had a thirst to learn the game and was one of the smartest players I ever coached. His recruiting skills are exceptional, and he will bring the right people to Radford. Darris really knows the game and how to develop talent too. Student-athletes will love playing for him as well. This is a great match for both Radford University and Darris, and I look forward to following all his success in the years to come."
– John Beilein, Former Richmond, WVU, Michigan, and Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball Head Coach