Nick Nichay was elevated to head coach of the Franklin & Marshall men’s basketball program, announced by Director of Athletics and Recreation Patricia S.W. Epps.
Nichay served as interim head coach at the start of the 2019-20 season after spending the last seven seasons as an assistant coach. As an assistant, Nichay oversaw several aspects of the program relating to recruiting, player development, scouting, academic advisement, and general day-to-day operations of the program.
“What a thrill it is to announce that Nick Nichay will take up the reins of the storied F&M Men’s Basketball Team,” said Epps. “Coach Nichay has been an inspirational assistant and interim coach during his time at F&M. After an extensive national search, we are confident that Coach Nichay will provide the mentoring that will preserve the Diplomat tradition of excellence on the court and in the community.”
Nichay becomes the 32nd coach in the program’s 117-year history and takes over for legendary head coach Glenn Robinson, who had been at the helm since 1971.
“I am incredibly excited and thankful for the opportunity to be selected as the next head coach of the Franklin & Marshall Men’s Basketball program,” Nichay said. “The elite education and undergraduate experience that F&M provides make it possible to recruit, coach, and mentor some truly special student-athletes.”
Nichay has served as the recruiting coordinator since his arrival in September 2012. In addition to last season, he has served in the head coaching capacity on two separate occasions during the previous two years, leading the team to a 21-18 mark during that span with two wins over top-10 teams.
“Coach Glenn Robinson is among the best coaches in NCAA history,” said Nichay. “He has established a winning tradition at F&M that is without a doubt among the best in Division III, and one that is built to last. I am honored to be the next coach and I am determined to build on those standards of excellence Coach Robinson has established for the program on the court, in the classroom, and within the campus community.”
During his time as an assistant at F&M, Nichay helped guide the team to an overall record of 156-61. In that time, the team qualified for the Centennial Conference (CC) playoffs in all seven seasons, winning the regular conference championship on two occasions and finishing with a share of second place three times. The 2017-18 team earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 and finishing the year ranked 20th in the nation.
The team also achieved at a high level in the classroom and was recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches with the Team Academic Excellence Award for achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. In the 2015-16 season, the program won both the regular season and conference tournament championships on the way to an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
Nichay has coached 21 All-Conference selections, including nine First Team All-Conference players, two Conference Player of the Year recipients, two NABC All-Americans, and one Academic All-American. Twice he has helped to recruit and coach the Centennial Conference (CC) Rookie of the Year. The 2015 recipient of that award, Brandon Federici, went on to break the CC career scoring record in the 2017-18 season with a total of 2,072 points during his four years at F&M. Federici also was named CC Conference Player of the Year, NABC All-American, CoSIDA Academic All-American, Jostens Trophy Finalist, and was a DIII Reese’s All-Star game participant.
“I would like to thank the search committee for this tremendous opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program,” said Nichay. “I am thrilled to be able to continue to call F&M home.”
Prior to arriving at Franklin & Marshall, Nichay spent two years as an assistant coach at the Division II level with Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. Before arriving at Le Moyne, Nichay spent one season as a Division III assistant at Hartwick College. In addition to his roles as an assistant coach, he has worked several camps in recent years. Camps where he has worked as a counselor, include the Hoop Group, Princeton, Penn, and Columbia elite camps. He is also the Director of the Elite Camp at Franklin & Marshall.
Nichay graduated in 2009 from Rutgers University with a bachelor’s degree in sport management. While at Rutgers, he served as a student manager with the men’s basketball team, where he assisted the program in a variety of day-to-day operations. Nichay was also named head manager for his senior year with the program.
https://www.godiplomats.com/sports/m-baskbl/2020-21/releases/20200514lqagvn
