Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
Former Radford High School standout Darris Nichols came back home four years ago to take the reins of the Radford University program.
This past week, he was announced as the new head coach at LaSalle University.
La Salle University President Daniel J. Allen says Nichols brings a winning pedigree and passion for his student-athletes.
“We look forward to watching him recruit and develop the next generation of Explorers on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” Allen said.
Vice President of Athletics and Recreation and Director of Athletics Ashwin Puri is thrilled to welcome Darris and Courtnie to the Explorers’ family.
“As we went through the process it was clear that Darris was the right leader for our program, and the right coach to build on the rich legacy of La Salle men’s basketball,” Puri said. “Darris’ coaching philosophy is grounded in building team chemistry and supporting the development of student-athletes with an expectation of excellence on and off the court. It is no surprise his coaching philosophy matches his former playing style, one anchored in toughness and tenacity. It’s a brand of basketball that will be an exciting new chapter for the Explorer community and Philadelphia.”
Nichols’ coaching experience includes stints as an assistant coach at Florida, Louisiana Tech, Wofford, and Northern Kentucky. A member of 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, Nichols helped coach the Florida Gators to a 123-75 record that included four straight 20-win seasons. Nichols and the Gators also tallied four straight NCAA Tournament bids.
Nichols posted a record of 68-63 (.519) overall, which included two 20-win campaigns. Over his four seasons, Nichols completely reintegrated Radford back into championship contenders in the Big South. His squad also made one post season appearance with a run to the College Basketball Invitational semifinals in 2022-23.
Radford University Director of Athletics Robert Lineburg thanked Nichols for his time at the school.
“We appreciate Darris and his efforts over the past four years and wish him and his family nothing but the best of luck in his new opportunity,” Lineburg said. “Darris is an outstanding coach, and we anticipate he will have continued success leading the program at La Salle.”
Nichols, who averaged 15 wins a season, finished his Radford career with the fourth-most wins in school history.
At LaSalle, Nichols takes over for the retiring Fran Dunphy, who leaves as the all-time winningest coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history. Dunphy will assume the role of special assistant to the president at La Salle and has agreed to a lifetime contract with the University for that role.
Dunphy, a member of the Philadelphia Big 5, La Salle Athletics, Penn Athletics, and Philadelphia Sports Writers Halls of Fame, has amassed 623 victories over his 30 years as head coach at Penn (1989-06), Temple (2006-19), and three seasons at La Salle (2022-2025). He is the only coach to oversee multiple Big 5 men’s programs, and his teams have competed in 17 NCAA Tournaments.
