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Friday afternoon, the news broke that Florida assistant coach Darris Nichols has been hired to take over the head coaching job for the Radford Highlanders. Nichols had worked as a part of the Florida staff from 2015-2021 and was widely regarded as one of the best assistant coaches around. Thus, it’s not a huge surprise to see him leave, but he’ll be hard for the team to replace.
Nichols was a fine basketball player for West Virginia who thrived on a steady diet of spot ups and played professionally in Hungary for a season before transitioning to a coaching role. He first joined forces with Mike White in 2014 at Louisiana Tech after serving in a similar role for smaller schools and made the leap to the SEC with White when he took the Florida job in 2015.
Nichols’ hiring marks the final departure of White’s initial trio of assistants when he came to Florida six years ago. All three have moved onto greener pastures, taking head coaching jobs of their own. It’s hard to fault the choice, even at a small school, it’s easier for a man in the leading role to catch the eye of a bigger program when head coaching jobs become available.
White had nothing but kind words for Nichols as their paths diverge, calling him a “consistent grinder,” “commanding presence on the court” and “an awesome human being,” among a long list of descriptors.
To be honest, the Radford head coaching job isn’t a thrilling one. The team plays in a poor conference and has produced a grand total of one NBA alum. However, Nichols is young and even an unspectacular school presents a great opportunity for someone in his shoes. Radford has a recent track record of success within the conference and will serve as a good proving ground for Nichols’ ability as a leader and shot-caller.
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