Seasons:

• 2009-10 - Head Coach
• 2008-09 - Head Coach

Dave Nichols, who enters his second season as the Head Coach at Florida Gulf Coast University, has enjoyed 13 years of success as a collegiate volleyball coach. Nichols has registered an astonishing 296-108 record in his career.

In his first season with the Eagles, Nichols led FGCU to the 2008 Regular Season Atlantic Sun Championship with a 20-8 overall record and an 18-2 conference record. His guidance led to a pair of First Team All-Conference selections and a All-Freshman team selection.

Nichols was one of the premier coaches in NCAA Division II as he won two national championships and finished as the national runner-up once as well. He guided teams to three Sunshine State Conference titles and 11 trips to the NCAA tournament in 12 years as a head coach at Barry. Nichols was named National Coach of the Year in 2001 after guiding Barry to the national championship with a 32-2 record.

In his second season at Barry, he led the Buccaneers to their third trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 1997 where they eventually lost to West Texas A&M in the championship match. That season, the Bucs finished with a 28-5 record.

In 2001, Nichols and the Bucs would go on to capture the school’s second national championship with a 32-2 record. The Bucs were dominant in the Elite Eight, losing only one game in the three matches as four players were named to the All-Elite Eight Tournament team.

In 2003, Barry set an NCAA Division II record with 55 consecutive games won. The Bucs finished that season with a 24-4 record and a Sunshine State Conference championship.

In 2004, Barry captured their second national championship with a 34-1 record. That season, the Bucs became the only team to defeat FGCU in Alico Arena. The Bucs finished the season with 33 consecutive wins, going five games only one time during the season.

In his 12 seasons at Barry, Nichols coached 13 AVCA All-Americans, five Volleyball Monthly All-Americans, four Daktronics, Inc., All-Americans and three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. He also helped develop 29 AVCA All-Region selections and 40 All-Sunshine State Conference selections as well. Nichols was named SSC Coach of the Year three times (2001, 2003, and 2004) as well as the AVCA South Region Coach of the Year in 1997, 2001 and 2004.

Prior to Barry, Nichols was an assistant at Arizona State where he helped lead the Sun Devils to their most successful season in program history as the finished the year ranked #10 in the nation. He was also an assistant at Cal from 1988-92 and helped lead the Bears to the post season on three occasions.

Nichols, a 1976 graduate of UCLA won three national championships as a player and enjoyed a successful professional career before his coaching career.

Nichols is a native of southern California where he grew up playing volleyball on the beach with the likes of Ron Von Hagen, Greg Lee, and Wilt Chamberlain. He played for the UCLA Bruins’ men’s volleyball team from 1974-76 and helped the team win three national championships. Following his playing career, Nichols took a graduate assistant position with the Bruins where he tutored volleyball legend Karch Kiraly.

He and his wife Kalam have two children, Travis and Tyler.