DUDLEY, Mass. (5/18/2026) – The Nichols College Division of Athletics is proud to unveil its 54th Hall of Fame Class, honoring a distinguished group of inductees whose accomplishments left a lasting mark on Bison history.

The 2026 class includes Kyle Bouchard '14, David Drucker '14, former coach Lou Izzy and the 1976 Football Team. Since its start in 1972, the Hall of Fame will now consist of 228 former student-athletes, 14 honorary members and 12 teams.

"Each member of the 2026 Hall of Fame class represents the very best of Nichols Athletics," said Director of Athletics Kristan Mallet. "Their dedication, competitive excellence, leadership, and lasting contributions to our community have helped shape the proud tradition of Bison Athletics. We are honored to celebrate their achievements and welcome them into the Nichols College Athletics Hall of Fame."

Kyle Bouchard '21 – Baseball

One of the most decorated players in the history of the Nichols College baseball program, Bouchard is a three-time All-Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) selection, a D3Baseball.com Fourth Team All-American, and two-time All-New England honoree. He capped his career by earning 2021 CCC Player of the Year and ABCA/Rawlings All-New England First Team honors after leading the conference in batting average (.427), home runs (12), RBI (40), and slugging percentage (.899), and also set a Nichols single-season record for slugging percentage. Additionally, he became the first player in program history to hit three home runs in a game. Bouchard graduated as Nichols' all-time leader in games played (155), doubles (41), RBI (149), total bases (303), putouts (1,313), fielding percentage (.989), and sacrifice flies (25), while ranking second in hits (205) and home runs (19). Over his four-year career, he posted a .362 batting average with 205 hits and 115 runs scored, cementing himself as one of the premier hitters in program history.

David Drucker '14 – Men's Tennis

David Drucker '14 was one of the most successful players in the history of the Nichols College men's tennis program. A three-time All-Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) First Team selection in singles and two-time ITA Scholar Athlete, he helped lead the Bison to back-to-back CCC Championship titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013. Drucker finished his career ranked second in program history in both singles wins (64) and doubles wins (57), while posting an .889 singles winning percentage and a .938 doubles winning percentage. He earned CCC Player of the Week honors twice during his career and was named CCC Rookie of the Week in 2010. As team captain in 2012-13, he posted a career-high 17 singles victories and helped Nichols capture its second straight conference title.

Lou Izzi – Men's Ice Hockey (2004-09)

Lou Izzi established himself as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Nichols College men's ice hockey program, becoming the program's all-time wins leader with 117 victories and posting a .583 winning percentage. During his tenure, Izzi guided the Bison to their first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008-09.

Under Izzi's leadership, Nichols shifted into a conference contender, highlighted by a program-record 25-win season in 2008-09 in which the Bison captured the ECAC Northeast title and reached No. 13 in the USCHO.com Division III Poll. He was twice named ECAC Northeast Coach of the Year and coached numerous all-conference, all-region, and academic honorees throughout his career. His impact helped elevate Nichols hockey to new heights, laying the foundation for sustained success and establishing the Bison as a respected program in Division III hockey.

1976 Football Team

The 1976 Football Class stands among the greatest eras in the history of Nichols College football, compiling a remarkable 29-5-1 record while capturing four straight conference championships from 1973-76, including a co-championship in 1975. Known for its dominant defense, the program earned national recognition throughout the decade. In 1974, Nichols ranked seventh nationally in pass defense and eighth in scoring defense after allowing just 8.8 points per game. The following season, the Bison again ranked among the nation's elite, finishing 10th in pass defense and fifth in scoring defense while surrendering only 57 total points and 7.1 points per game.

The sustained excellence, championship success, and national defensive rankings achieved by the 1976 Football Class helped establish Nichols as one of the premier small-college football programs of its era.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 19^th inside Daniels Auditorium, located on the campus of Nichols College. Further details about the ceremony will be unveiled at a later time.