The 2025 season marks Ken Nichols 2nd year at the helm of the Merrimack College Warriors and his 24th season as a head coach in D1 volleyball. Nichols has posted 19 winning seasons in his career while tacking on five America East and ten CAA tournament appearances. He led the Northeastern Huskies to a NCAA Tournament bid in the 2001 season, where the team went 23-11. His all-time coaching record is 393-308
During his two-plus decades of coaching his peers have taken notice of his success. “Ken is a very good technical and tactical coach who always gets the most out of his players,” said former Olympic team captain Debbie Brown, who coached Notre Dame to five BIG EAST championships. “His teams play hard and have a ‘never say die’ attitude. I have tremendous respect for him and for his team.”
Merrimack Warriors: 2024-
After a few years away, Ken Nichols returned to D1 volleyball to coach the Merrimack College Warriors to their most wins since 2014. In his first season, Nichols and the Warriors had an 8-10 MAAC conference record which was enough for them to grab a spot in the postseason tournament. As the #7 seed, the Warriors went on to take down #6 Niagara in a five-set thriller just a month after getting swept by them in the regular season. Nichols and the Warriors saw help from senior hitter Julz Carlat, who finished just shy of 300 kills for the second straight season. Nichols also coached rookie breakout star Mckenna Shotwell who tallied 275 kills during the season. Shotwell was named to the MAAC All-Rookie team at the end of the season.
Northeastern Huskies: 2000-2018
Record: 330-247
The success didn’t stop for Nichols after taking over for the Huskies. He tallied five straight postseason tournament finishes in his first five years with the Huskies. Nichols once again earned conference coach of the year honors, despite facing a limited roster in the 2000 season. The following season, Nichols got his first taste of a championship, taking home the gold in the America East playoffs. The teams impressive 10-2 conference record not only helped them win it all but clinched them a berth in the NCAA tournament. The following three seasons were all highly successful. The Nichols and the Huskies found their way deep into a postseason run making the America East Semifinals twice and the finals once.
After joining the Colonial Athletic Association in 2006, Nichols led the team to three straight postseason tournament appearances. Nichols has a knack for producing All-conference talent as he coached multiple Huskies that would go on to earn those honors. In the 2008 season, Nichols coached his first conference player of the year in Lauren DeTurk. DeTurk was recently named the head coach of Florida International’s beach program. She would help the Huskies earn their first regular season title, an appearance in the CAA finals, and a third coach of the year recognition for Nichols.
Nichols continued to churn out conference super stars as he coached the 2010 co-rookie of the year as well as the CAA player of the year Britney Brown. They helped the Huskies make it to their second CAA finals matchup in three years. The 2011 season was much of the same, with Nichols producing another rookie of the year recipient along with the programs first ever winner of the Defensive specialist of the year award. The Huskies posted a 21-6 record with a .786 winning percentage that season. This is Nichols’ winningest season as a head coach to this day.
In the 2012 and 2014 seasons, Nichols produced yet another CAA player of the year in Kelly Bacon along with a 5th rookie of the year. The following season, the Huskies were able to excel off the court earning first place honors in academic success for a 7th time. Nichols and the Warriors carried that into the 2016 season with another excellent showing overall and in conference play. For his efforts, Nichols was named conference coach of the year a 4th time. During the NCAA’s biggest comeback season, Nichols helped coach the setter of the year along with three other Huskies who won post season honors.
In his final year at the helm of Northeastern, Nichols helped them earn a winning record of 16-14 while going 9-7 in conference play. The Huskies punched their 10th ticket to the CAA postseason tournament in 14 years. For the second time in his coaching tenure with the Huskies, Nichols produced a defensive specialist of the year award winner.
Nichols finished his career with Northeastern tallying 330 wins which makes him the all-time leader for the Huskies. He finds himself among the top winningest coaches in D1 New England volleyball history.
At the end of the 2018 season, Nichols stepped away from volleyball after 28 years of coaching high school and college to prioritize time with his family and children.
Providence Friars: 1997-1999
Record: 52-40
Taking over as head coach of the Providence Friars in 1997, Nichols immediately saw success leading the team for a 21-14 season. Nichols didn’t stop there, helping the team to two more winning seasons. In arguably his most impressive season, the Friars were picked to finish 12th (last) in the 1999 preseason poll. Nichols went on to lead the Friars to an 8-3 BIG EAST record finishing 3rd in the conference. Nichols earned BIG EAST coach of the year honors and helped the team punch their ticket to the BIG EAST tournament for the first time since 1994.
A long-time certified USVBA and NAGWS official, Nichols has been involved in volleyball year-round for most of the last 34 years. He was the varsity girls coach at Bishop Stang HS (North Dartmouth, MA) from 1993-95, and was the JV coach in 91’ and ’92. As well Nichols was an assistant for the ’93 New Bedford HS boys program that won an undefeated state championship. During that time, Nichols also coached for a local junior’s program and was the chairman of a highly competitive adult program. He was active in the Bay State Games, both as a coach and a participant. Nichols was part of a men’s open volleyball team at the Games for over 10 years and coached teams to numerous medals in the open division, including two gold.
A 1989 graduate of UMass Dartmouth with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Nichols completed two years of graduate studies in Organic Chemistry at his alma mater. He resides in Bridgewater, Mass., with wife, Tina, and sons, James and Connor.
