Nichols spent three years as an assistant coach at Holy Family from 2019-22 before returning to his alma mater ahead of the 2023-24 season.
HFU has reached the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Semifinals three times in his four seasons as an assistant, including the championship game in both 2020 and 2025.
Holy Family would go on to capture its first CACC Championship in a decade in 2025 to earn a berth to its first NCAA Tournament since 2016. In the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers would win two games to advance to the East Region Final (Sweet 16) for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2012.
Nichols brought over 17 years of coaching experience to the HFU, most notably as the head coach of the PA Renegades Basketball Club from 2009-2015. While there he coached a group of highly motivated and successful boys basketball players from various high schools in the Philadelphia Catholic League, Inter-Ac and Suburban Leagues, assisting them with the NCAA recruiting process as he established communications with Division I, II and III coaches.
Nichols was previously the junior varsity and assistant varsity coach at Northeast Catholic High School from 1998-2001, where he coached five All-Catholic players and advanced to the 2000 Catholic League Northern Division Semifinals.
He began his coaching career at Holy Family as an assistant on the men’s staff in 1997-98.
Nichols graduated from HFU in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
He was a four-year member of the men's basketball team, serving as team captain from 1995-1997 and winning the Philadelphia Area Small College Association Sam Cozen Award in 1997. During his playing career, the Tigers notably won the 1995 NAIA Northeast Region Championship to advance to the NAIA National Tournament.
