Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics
Eric Nichols Signs Contract Extension
January 06, 2022 | Men's Soccer
BGSU men's soccer coach guided Falcons to two trips to NCAA Championships in 2021 calendar year
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Strategic Communications) – Bowling Green State University Director of Athletics and Recreation Bob Moosbrugger has announced that BGSU men's soccer coach Eric Nichols has signed a multi-year contract extension. Nichols' contract has been extended three years, and now runs through December 16, 2024.
"I am excited and pleased to announce a contract extension for Coach Nichols," said Moosbrugger. "Eric is a tremendous leader and has built a championship culture within our men's soccer program. That culture has led us to success in the classroom, in the community and on the pitch. We look forward to building upon our success under Coach Nichols' leadership."
Nichols recently completed his 13th season at the helm of the Falcons. Since coming to BG on Feb. 17, 2009, he has built not just a winning team, but a successful program both on and off the pitch. Upon his arrival in Northeast Ohio, Nichols changed the culture of the program, showing steady improvement each season.
"I am extremely grateful to Bob Moosbrugger and President Rogers for their support of me and our program," said Nichols. "There is a great deal of excitement about the direction of the program, and I am delighted to be at the helm as we continue to move our program forward."
In late December of 2021, Nichols was named the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association's Coach of the Year, earning that honor for the second time (2016). He guided the 2021 Falcons to an 11-6-3 overall record, taking the program to the NCAA Championships for the second-straight season. Five of the six losses came to fellow NCAA tourney qualifiers.
Nichols has a record of 106-100-34 in 13 seasons with the Falcons, including an 18-11-4 mark in the 2021 calendar year.
In November, Nichols and the Falcons earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships, then went on the road and picked up a 1-0 victory at Louisville in the first round. It marked the fifth NCAA tourney victory in program history and the first since 1997.
BGSU ended the 2021 season ranked number 30 in the final College Soccer News poll for the second consecutive season, and the Falcons ended the year ranked 27th (second team listed among 'receiving votes') in the final United Soccer Coaches poll.
In the spring of 2021, Nichols guided the Falcons to the outright Mid-American Conference regular-season title, the program's first since 1996. BGSU was ranked 27th of 207 teams in the nation in the final RPI, as the MAC was the top-rated conference in the country.
Nichols was named the MAC's Coach of the Year in the spring season. He and the Falcons have a record of 36-20-7 over the last 63 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season.
Upon his arrival in Northwest Ohio, Nichols took over a team that had dropped to the bottom of the MAC, and slowly but surely returned the BGSU men's soccer program to relevance in the conference and the region. BGSU has finished first or second in the conference in three of the last six seasons, and the Falcons have made back-to-back trips to the NCAA Championships for just the second time in program history.
Nichols has worked tirelessly at making Cochrane Stadium an entertaining place to be for soccer fans, as well as a difficult place to play for the road team. BGSU's attendance numbers have steadily increased during his tenure. Nichols also was instrumental in the Cochrane Stadium lights project, as the Falcons now play nearly all of their matches under the lights, enhancing an already-entertaining game-day atmosphere.
Nichols came to Bowling Green after spending the 2008 season as assistant coach at Davidson College. Prior to that, he was the head men's soccer coach at Ohio Dominican University for four seasons (2004-07). Under his guidance, the Panthers recorded a 59-22-1 (.728) overall mark, including a final ranking of fourth in 2007. That team advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament.
Prior to heading to ODU, Nichols served as an assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan University under Jay Martin. During Nichols' four years there, the Battling Bishops compiled a mark of 74-14-3, won four conference championships and advanced to a pair of NCAA Regional Championships and one Final Four.
He is only the fifth head coach in the storied history of the BGSU men's soccer program, which completed its 57th season in the fall of 2021. He joins Mickey Cochrane (1965-77), the late Gary Palmisano (1978-92, 1994), Mel Mahler (1993, 1995-2003) and Fred Thompson (2004-08) on that list.
Nichols earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from OSU in 2000. He has taken graduate courses at BGSU.
Nichols and his wife, Marianne, reside in Bowling Green with their three children, sons Kale and Braden and daughter Jordan. Kale, a member of the BGSU men's soccer team, scored the winning goal in the NCAA Championships match at Louisville, and Jordan is a freshman at BGSU.
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"I am excited and pleased to announce a contract extension for Coach Nichols," said Moosbrugger. "Eric is a tremendous leader and has built a championship culture within our men's soccer program. That culture has led us to success in the classroom, in the community and on the pitch. We look forward to building upon our success under Coach Nichols' leadership."
Nichols recently completed his 13th season at the helm of the Falcons. Since coming to BG on Feb. 17, 2009, he has built not just a winning team, but a successful program both on and off the pitch. Upon his arrival in Northeast Ohio, Nichols changed the culture of the program, showing steady improvement each season.
"I am extremely grateful to Bob Moosbrugger and President Rogers for their support of me and our program," said Nichols. "There is a great deal of excitement about the direction of the program, and I am delighted to be at the helm as we continue to move our program forward."
In late December of 2021, Nichols was named the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association's Coach of the Year, earning that honor for the second time (2016). He guided the 2021 Falcons to an 11-6-3 overall record, taking the program to the NCAA Championships for the second-straight season. Five of the six losses came to fellow NCAA tourney qualifiers.
Nichols has a record of 106-100-34 in 13 seasons with the Falcons, including an 18-11-4 mark in the 2021 calendar year.
In November, Nichols and the Falcons earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships, then went on the road and picked up a 1-0 victory at Louisville in the first round. It marked the fifth NCAA tourney victory in program history and the first since 1997.
BGSU ended the 2021 season ranked number 30 in the final College Soccer News poll for the second consecutive season, and the Falcons ended the year ranked 27th (second team listed among 'receiving votes') in the final United Soccer Coaches poll.
In the spring of 2021, Nichols guided the Falcons to the outright Mid-American Conference regular-season title, the program's first since 1996. BGSU was ranked 27th of 207 teams in the nation in the final RPI, as the MAC was the top-rated conference in the country.
Nichols was named the MAC's Coach of the Year in the spring season. He and the Falcons have a record of 36-20-7 over the last 63 matches, dating to late in the 2018 season.
Upon his arrival in Northwest Ohio, Nichols took over a team that had dropped to the bottom of the MAC, and slowly but surely returned the BGSU men's soccer program to relevance in the conference and the region. BGSU has finished first or second in the conference in three of the last six seasons, and the Falcons have made back-to-back trips to the NCAA Championships for just the second time in program history.
Nichols has worked tirelessly at making Cochrane Stadium an entertaining place to be for soccer fans, as well as a difficult place to play for the road team. BGSU's attendance numbers have steadily increased during his tenure. Nichols also was instrumental in the Cochrane Stadium lights project, as the Falcons now play nearly all of their matches under the lights, enhancing an already-entertaining game-day atmosphere.
Nichols came to Bowling Green after spending the 2008 season as assistant coach at Davidson College. Prior to that, he was the head men's soccer coach at Ohio Dominican University for four seasons (2004-07). Under his guidance, the Panthers recorded a 59-22-1 (.728) overall mark, including a final ranking of fourth in 2007. That team advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament.
Prior to heading to ODU, Nichols served as an assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan University under Jay Martin. During Nichols' four years there, the Battling Bishops compiled a mark of 74-14-3, won four conference championships and advanced to a pair of NCAA Regional Championships and one Final Four.
He is only the fifth head coach in the storied history of the BGSU men's soccer program, which completed its 57th season in the fall of 2021. He joins Mickey Cochrane (1965-77), the late Gary Palmisano (1978-92, 1994), Mel Mahler (1993, 1995-2003) and Fred Thompson (2004-08) on that list.
Nichols earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from OSU in 2000. He has taken graduate courses at BGSU.
Nichols and his wife, Marianne, reside in Bowling Green with their three children, sons Kale and Braden and daughter Jordan. Kale, a member of the BGSU men's soccer team, scored the winning goal in the NCAA Championships match at Louisville, and Jordan is a freshman at BGSU.
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# B G S U Â M E N ' S Â S O C C E R #
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