DUDLEY, Mass. (4/10/2024) – Head Men's Basketball Coach
Brock Erickson has announced he has accepted the Associate Head Coach position at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).
The 2024 Commonwealth Coasts Conference's (CCC) Coach of the Year, Erickson, spent three years as the Head Coach of the Nichols College Men's Basketball Team. In his time the team posted a 73-14 record and won two CCC Championships and claimed three CCC Regular Season Titles.
This past season, Erickson continued to set the bar higher for the program ushering the Bison to a 22-4 overall record and a 15-1 mark in Commonwealth Coast Conference play, compiling a program record .938 win percentage. Down the stretch, the Bison secured 16 consecutive victories from December 29th to February 17th, which clocked in as the third longest streak in program history. Erickson and the Bison were also rewarded for their efforts with his third consecutive Regular Season Champion title, which helped earn Erickson Commonwealth Coast Conference Coach of the Year accolades for the first time in his career. Alongside his top honors, senior guard
Tavon Jones was bestowed with Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team recognition, while junior
Dominic Mello earned Second Team honors from the CCC.
Under Erickson's guidance in 2022-23, the men's basketball program amassed a record of 26-6, including a Commonwealth Coast Conference mark of 14-2, along with a trip to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Bison also claimed 20 consecutive victories dating from January 5th to March 10th, which set a new all-time program record. All-CCC honors were handed out to a conference-best five members of the team: Matt Alectus (First Team),
Quincy Ferebee and
Tavon Jones (Second Team), and
Ty Rucker and
Jakigh Dottin (Third Team). Alectus was also selected as the CCC's Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in rebounding. Erickson was named Region II Coach of the Year as well. Nichols reached a national ranking of 9
th.
The Bison won three major awards during Erickson's first season in Dudley as
Jakigh Dottin took home CCC Player of the Year and third team All-America, while Jaekwon Spencer was tabbed CCC Defensive Player of the Year and Tahmeen Dupree garnered CCC Rookie of the Year honors. Five members of the Erickson's team were awarded all conference marking the first time in conference history five players from one team were awarded this honor. The Bison finished with a record of 25-4 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The national search for the next Nichols College Men's Basketball Head Coach will begin immediately.
