Football
- Title:
- Assistant Football Coach (Inside Receivers)
- Phone:
- 325-3470
Dave Nichol joined the Bulldogs as inside receivers coach on February 4, 2020, after spending four seasons on Washington State’s staff. Nichol has ties to Mississippi with his mother being from Louisville.
Nichol spent two seasons (2020-21) at Mississippi State. He coached receiver Jaden Walley, who was a Freshman All-American in 2020.
He is no stranger to a Mike Leach-coached team, having spent three seasons (2003-05) as an offensive line assistant at Texas Tech under Leach. Prior to Washington State, Nichol served as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina in 2015.
Following the 2015 season, Nichol was named the Cougars’ outside receivers coach, reuniting with Leach. At the start of 2017 preseason camp Nichol moved from coaching outside receivers to working with the inside receivers.
Most recently, under the guidance of Nichol, Brandon Arconado led the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game at 100.8 in 2019. He caught 78 passes for 1,109 yards and seven touchdowns and tied for the conference lead in receptions that resulted in a first down with 58. Renard Bell and Travell Harris also had solid seasons under Nichol’s mentorship. Bell caught 53 passes for 562 yards and six touchdowns, while Harris logged 47 receptions for 536 yards and five scores.
In 2018, Washington State’s inside receivers combined for 124 receptions for 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns. Nichol coached four players who recorded 20 or more receptions, including Jamire Calvin who led the way with 42 catches for 497 yards. Bell paced the group with five touchdown receptions. Redshirt-freshman Harris caught 27 passes in his first season seeing game action and earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention as a kick returner after averaging a Pac-12 best 27.6 yards-per-return, sixth-best in the FBS.
The Cougars’ inside receivers combined for 135 receptions, 1,444 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017. Redshirt-freshman Bell was a Pac-12 All-Freshman first team selection while Calvin earned second-team accolades as a true freshman.
Nichol’s 2016 outside receivers unit combined for 203 receptions for 2,032 yards and 21 scores and was led by senior Gabe Marks, who repeated as an All-Pac-12 first team performer. Marks also became the Pac-12 career leader in receptions, finishing with 316 catches and 37 touchdowns – second all-time in conference history.
Nichol has coached on staffs that have reached 12 bowl games since 2000. In 2015 he was elevated to East Carolina’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after serving the previous three seasons as the Pirates’ outside receivers coach.
While at ECU (2012-15), Nichol played a vital role in guiding an offense that finished third nationally in passing and fifth in total offense during the 2014 season. ECU’s offense established successive single-season school records for passing yards and total offense, and combined he was part of 70 individual or team single-game, single-season and career offensive standards that were tied or set from 2012-14.
Prior to East Carolina, Nichol spent five seasons (2007-11) on Arizona’s staff. He began as a graduate assistant in 2007, working with the offensive line. He was promoted to outside receivers coach after one season and added the insider receivers the following year. With Nichol on staff, the Wildcats saw their offense increase 130.0 yards per game over the previous offensive system as Arizona reached three straight bowl games. During his final season in Tucson, Arizona’s offense moved from No. 10 to No. 3 in passing nationally, ending the 2011 season averaging 370.8 yards per game.
Nichol began his coaching career as a student coach at his alma mater Texas Tech (2000-01) following his playing career as a wide receiver. He followed that with a year at Cisco (Texas) Junior College (2002), three years back at Texas Tech (2003-05) as an offensive assistant, and a year at Baylor (2006) as a staff assistant.
Nichol earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise sports sciences from Texas Tech in 1999 and followed with a master’s in interdisciplinary studies from the same institution three years later.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Nichol graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas (Texas) before enrolling at Texas Tech.
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Education: Texas Tech, 1999 (B.S., Exercise Sport Sciences), 2002 (M.S., Interdisciplinary Studies)
Birthday: Oct. 5, 1976
2017-19: Washington State (Inside Receivers)
2016: Washington State (Outside Receivers)
2015: East Carolina (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2012-14: East Carolina (Outside Receivers)
2008-11: Arizona (Wide Receivers)
2007: Arizona (Offensive Graduate Assistant)
2006: Baylor (Offensive Graduate Assistant)
2003-05: Texas Tech (Offensive Graduate Assistant)
2002: Cisco Junior College (Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers)
2000-01: Texas Tech (Student Assistant Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers Coach)
2020 Armed Forces Bowl (Mississippi State)
2019 Cheez-It Bowl (Washington State)
2018 Alamo Bowl (Washington State)
2017 Holiday Bowl (Washington State)
2015 Birmingham Bowl (East Carolina)
2013 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl (East Carolina)
2012 New Orleans Bowl (East Carolina)
2010 Alamo Bowl (Arizona)
2009 Holiday Bowl (Arizona)
2008 Las Vegas Bowl (Arizona)
2005 Cotton Bowl (Texas Tech)
2004 Holiday Bowl (Texas Tech)
2003 Houston Bowl (Texas Tech)
2001 Alamo Bowl (Texas Tech)
2000 GalleryFurniture.com Bowl (Texas Tech)
