Northeastern University Athletics

Recruiting Email: NortheasternVB@neu.edu

The 2018 season marks Nichols’ 19th year at the helm of the Huskies’ volleyball program. Nichols has posted 15 winning seasons in his tenure, including eight straight from 2006-2013. He has guided the Huskies to 11 seasons of 19 wins or more. His career record now stands at 367-273 (.574), 314-233 with the Red and Black (.574), and 115-81 (.587) in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).


2017
The 2017 season started with the Red and Black competing in four tournaments with a single non-conference game in between. The huskies' record was .500 at the end of the season's tournament, including a 3-0 sweep at the Art Carmichael Invitational. CAA play started immediately after the final tournament, starting on the road at UNCW and Charleston where the Huskies took 3-1 wins at both opponents. Northeastern won the next six conference matches to put them on a ten game win streak before losing at UNCW. The Huskies finished the regular season at 17-12 before competing against Hofstra in the first round the the CAA tournament and losing 2-3 to end their 2017 season at 17-13, 10-6 CAA. 

2016
The Huskies opened the 2016 season with three consecutive tournaments, including hosting the Northeastern Invitational for the first time since 2012. Beginning with a three-game sweep of the Northeastern Tournament, the Huskies continued on an eight game winning streak in non-conference action and opened CAA play with a 3-1 victory at UNCW. After dropping a match at Charleston, Northeastern posted a six game run to end the first half of conference play with a 7-1 record. The Red and Black were challenged during the back end of CAA play, dropping five-set heartbreakers at Hofstra, Delaware and Elon. Despite the setbacks, the Huskies were able to finish the season with a sparkling 11-0 record at home. The last time Northeastern went undefeated at Cabot Center was the 2012 season. After securing the No. 3 seed in its first CAA berth since 2013, the Huskies battled Delaware, forcing two of three sets to extra points but eventually fell to the Blue Hens with set scores of 28-26, 25-18, 27-25.

For his program's turnaround, Nichols was voted CAA Coach of the Year along with four other Huskies who earned post season honors. Junior Kristen Walding was named the CAA Setter of the Year, third team All-CAA and was a member of the All-Academic Team. Caterina Rosander and Jamie Bredahl were both named to the All-CAA third team and Shaina White earned a spot on the All-Rookie team.

During the 2016 season, Jamie Bredahl became the first player in program history to achieve over 1,000 career kills, assists and digs. Libero Gabrielle Eyl finished the season ranked seventh in the nation in digs per set. 

2015
With the smallest roster in six years, the Huskies finished 2015 at 6-25 overall (3-13 CAA). Nichols added assistant coaches Matt Soderstrom and Margo Jones to the pack, and welcomed three rookies, including Gabrielle Eyl, who led the team in digs (407) and ranked among the top-10 defenders in the CAA.

Nichols helped three Huskies earn milestone marks in 2015: Jamie Bredahl and Kristen Walding reaching 1,000 career assists and Brigitte Burcescu tabbing 700 career kills. With their leadership, NU managed to upset the, at the time, No. 1 team James Madison in a five-set battle on Nov. 5.

Nichols has continually emphasized the value of academics to his players. For the third semester in a row (fall 2015), the team finished with the highest women's team GPA (3.556) and is one of eight NU varsity programs that achieved a perfect, 100 percent NCAA Graduation Success Rate. The squad finished No. 1 in the CAA for volleyball academic success, while 11 Huskies earned the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award for attaining a 3.0 or greater GPA.

2014
Nichols guided Brigitte Burcescu to CAA Rookie of the Year during during a 10-20, 2-14 CAA season, and aided in the development of libero Natalia Skiba, one of the top defensive players in Northeastern history, who earned All-CAA Second Team honors her senior season.

2013
Nichols helped the team to a 19-11 record, going 10-4 in conference play. The No. 2 seeded Huskies made it to the CAA Final, eventually falling to top-seeded College of Charleston. Jamie Bredahl was named CAA Rookie of the Year.

2012
Northeastern earned a winning percentage of .741 in 2012 and played in the CAA  Quarterfinal game. Outside hitter Kelly Bacon was named the 2012 CAA Player of the Year, and three other players were named to All-CAA teams.

2011
The Huskies' 21 wins in 2011 were the most for Northeastern since joining the Colonial Athletic Association in 2005. His squad posted a .778 (21-6) winning percentage, which was the team’s best single-season winning percentage since 1987.

Nichols’ 2011 squad reaped numerous awards, including Northesatern’s second-straight CAA Rookie of the Year, Jillian Briner. Briner followed Janelle Tucker’s 2010 award while newcomer Natalia Skiba earned Northeastern’s first-ever Defensive Specialist of the Year award. Skiba led the CAA with 5.21 digs per set, which ranked 33rd in all of Division I and is the highest average for a rookie. Tucker was listed to the All-CAA First Team while Kelly Bacon and Nichole Kurz were Third Team members. Skiba was named to the Second Team as she joined Briner on the All-CAA Rookie Team.

2010
Northeastern completed the 2010 regular season with an 18-10 (9-5 CAA) record, which earned the team a berth in the four-team CAA Tournament. The Huskies entered the field as the No. 3 seed and played their way to the CAA Championship match, where they fell in a five set barn-burner to No. 1 seed Delaware.

Nichols continued to coach some of the best players in the CAA, as Britney Brown was named 2010 CAA Player of the Year after earning second team All-CAA honors during the 2009 season. Brown was also named a 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-East Regional Team honorable mention.

Freshman Janelle Tucker also earned CAA accolades under Nichols' tutelage, as she was named 2010 Co-Rookie of the Year and was a member of the All-Rookie team.

2009
The 2009 Huskies posted a 15-12 record with an 8-6 mark in the CAA and just missed the CAA Championship, as the tournament was reformatted to feature only the top four teams. Yet, Nichols and the Huskies have remained tough competition for every CAA team since joining the league. Northeastern has earned 60 conference wins from 2005-10, tied with Delaware for the second most league wins in that time. 

2008
Nichols led the Huskies to their first-ever CAA regular season title in 2008, as they posted a 12-2 conference record and went 19-11 overall.  He then led Northeastern to the conference finals that season for the first time since joining the CAA.  The Huskies conference-best record earned him CAA Co-Coach of the Year honors for the 2008 season. Nichols also mentored Lauren DeTurk, who was named 2008 CAA Player of the Year, and 2008 first team All-CAA selection Britney Brown.

2007
In 2007, his eighth season at Northeastern, Nichols led the Huskies to a 19-12 record and a second place finish in the CAA with an 11-3 conference record. Caitlin Tittl was named CAA Rookie of the Year. Nichols also coached first team All-CAA selection Kira Batura and second team All-CAA choice Lauren DeTurk.

2006
Nichols achieved his sixth winning season with the Huskies in 2006, leading his squad to a berth in the CAA Tournament with a record of 12-6 in the CAA and 15-12 overall.

Prior to joining the CAA, Nichols made the Huskies the class of the America East Conference. Northeastern experienced five straight winning seasons and posted a 103-65 record from 2000-04, winning 10 or more conference matches each season.

In 2001, the Huskies went 23-11, winning their first America East Championship and earning their first NCAA Div. I playoff berth. NU continued its progress in 2002, finishing 10-2 in America East play for the team’s highest winning percentage (.833) against conference teams since 1991. In 2003, the Huskies once again went 23-11 and were ranked 58th in the RPI (out of 311 Div. I teams), the highest in the conference and in New England. Nichols produced NU’s second straight 20-win season in 2004 and finished second in the America East with an 11-3 conference record.

When Nichols arrived in 2000, he and the Huskies immediately faced adversity. Despite several injuries and a car accident involving multiple players that had his team reduced to six active athletes at one point, Nichols led NU to a 19-16 record and the third seed at the America East playoffs. He was awarded America East Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.

Nichols came to Huntington Avenue after an impressive run as head coach at Providence College (1997-99). He compiled a 53-40 record with the Friars over three winning seasons, and was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 1999. He accomplished all of this despite having the fewest number of scholarships of any team in the BIG EAST. Though the Friars were picked to finish 12th in the 1999 preseason BIG EAST poll, Nichols led them to an 8-3 BIG EAST record (16-12 overall) and a third-place finish in the conference. The eight conference wins were the most ever by a Friar team and Providence earned its first trip to the BIG EAST tournament since 1994.

Nichols’ teams have experienced success in the classroom as well.  His 1998 Providence squad was recognized as the top academic program in the BIG EAST, and the 2002 Huskies posted an impressive 3.28 team GPA. 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 Debbie Brown, who has coached Notre Dame to five of the last six BIG EAST championships. “His teams play hard and have a ‘never say die’ attitude. I have tremendous respect for him and for his team.”

Nichols entered the college coaching ranks as an assistant at Roger Williams University in 1993. He then became an assistant at Providence in 1996, and the following season was named head coach of the Friars.

A long-time certified USVBA and NAGWS official, Nichols has been involved in volleyball year-round for the last 19 years. He was the varsity girls coach at Bishop Stang High School (North Dartmouth, Mass.) from 1993-95, and was the JV coach in 1991 and ’92. During that time, Nichols also coached for a local juniors program and was the chairman of a highly competitive adult program. He is active in the Bay State Games, both as a coach and a participant. Nichols has been part of a men’s open volleyball team at the Games for over 10 years and has coached teams to several medals in the open division, including two gold.

A 1989 graduate of Southeastern Massachusetts (now 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.

Year	School	Overall	Pct.	Conf.	Pct.	Postseason
1997	Providence	21-14	.600	4-7	.367	---
1998	Providence	16-14	.533	5-6	.455	---
1999	Providence	16-12	.571	8-3	.727	BIG EAST Quarterfinals
2000	Northeastern	19-16	.543	12-4	.750	America East Semifinals
2001	Northeastern	23-11	.676	11-3	.786	NCAA Tournament First Round
2002	Northeastern	18-15	.545	10-2	.833	America East Semifinals
2003	Northeastern	23-11	.676	10-4	.714	America East Final
2004	Northeastern	20-11	.645	11-3	.786	America East Semifinals
2005	Northeastern	11-16	.407	8-10	.444	---
2006	Northeastern	15-12	.556	12-6	.667	CAA Quarterfinals
2007	Northeastern	19-13	.594	11-3	.786	CAA Semifinals
2008	Northeastern	19-11	.633	12-2	.857	CAA Final
2009	Northeastern	15-12	.556	8-6	.571	---
2010	Northeastern	19-11	.633	9-5	.643	CAA Final
2011	Northeastern	21-6	.778	11-3	.786	CAA Semifinals
2012	Northeastern	20-7	.741	9-3	.750	CAA Quarterfinals
2013	Northeastern	19-11	.633	10-4	.714	CAA Final
2014	Northeastern	10-20	.333	2-14	.125	---
2015	Northeastern	6-25	.193	3-13	.188	---
2016	Northeastern	20-11	.645	10-6	.625	CAA Quarterfinals
2017	Northeastern	17-13	.567	10-6	.625	CAA Quarterfinals
3 seasons	Providence	53-40	.570	17-16	.515	---
18 seasons	Northeastern	314-233	.574	169-97	.635	1 NCAA Tournament Appearance
21 seasons	Career	367-273	.573	186-113	.622	1 NCAA Tournament Appearance