UF assistant Darris Nichols named head coach at Radford

Florida assistant coach Darris Nichols has been named head coach at Radford, the school announced Wednesday.

Nichols, a native of Radford, Va., has been on the UF coaching staff since 2015, when he came to Gainesville with head coach Mike White.

All three assistant coaches from White's initial coaching staff at Florida have now ascended to head coaching positions, as Jacksonville hired Jordan Mincy in March and Dusty May became Florida Atlantic's head coach in 2018.

Nichols has helped lead the Gators to a 123-75 record, including four straight 20-win seasons (2015-19) and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, winning at least one game in each trip (2017-21).

"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," White said. "It's a big-time hire by Radford! He's more than ready to come home."

Nichols has been known nationally as an up-and-coming coach and was named to ESPN.com's 40 Under 40 in the summer of 2020.

During Nichols' tenure, the Gators have recorded 18 top-25 wins, including 12 at neutral or road sites. Florida's four top-25 road wins over the past six seasons are tied for the most in the SEC, while UF's 63 SEC wins, six NCAA Tournament wins, 27 road SEC wins and 18 total top-25 wins all rank second in the league.

Nichols is one of 10 coaches who spent time as a Florida assistant currently in a head coaching role.