Former WVU Guard Darris Nichols Named La Salle Head Coach

Darris Nichols, the former WVU basketball point guard, has a new job, announced as the head coach at La Salle University Tuesday.

Nichols makes the move after four seasons as the head coach at Radford. The Highlanders went 68-63 under Nichols, including a pair of 20-win seasons in 2022-23 and 2024-25.

“I would like to thank President (Daniel) Allen and (athletic director) Ash Puri for giving me this tremendous opportunity,” Nichols said in a statement. “My family and I are excited to move to Philadelphia and continue to build on the recent success at La Salle. I’m excited to get to work with the Athletics staff, administration, and student-athletes, and I promise that I will do everything I can to make our students, alumni, and fans proud of their Explorers on and off the court.”

Nichols was a four-year contributor for the Mountaineers from 2004-08. He developed into WVU’s starting point guard in his junior and senior seasons, averaging at least 10 points and three assists each year. Nichols holds the distinction of being Bob Huggins’s first point guard at West Virginia.

As the head coach of Radford, Darris Nichols had the opportunity to coach against his alma mater on two occasions. He fell to Huggins and the Mountaineers 67-51 in 2021 before getting a 66-65 victory over his former team last season.

Nichols takes over a La Salle team that went 13-18 this season (5-13 in the Atlantic-10). His introductory press conference with the Explorers will be on Monday at 10 a.m.