Nichols College Athletics

Timothy Mayo assumed the head coaching duties at Nichols College in the summer of 2018 and enters the 2024 campaign as the third winningest coach in program history. He was named Assistant Director of Athletics in 2021.

After an impressive 2024 season, Mayo and the Bison completed one of the best season in program history with a 26-18 mark, going 11-5 in Conference play and reaching the 2025 Conference of New England Championship Game as the second seed in the tournament (the highest seeding in Program History). Mayo saw seven players earn CNE All-Conference Honors. with senior Ben Jerome earning a First Team Selection (Utility) and Second Team honor (OF) as well. Mayo coached All-Conference Second Team Pitcher John Steed (9-2) to the single season wins record with nine wins in 16 appearances for the southpaw.  

The 2024 season was one of the winningest season in program history as the Bison broke the single season wins record, on the way to 29 total wins. Mayo captured his 100th career win in a 16-4 win over Clark University on April 25. 2024. The team broke program records for home runs (38), stolen bases in a season (110), runs scored in a season (371), RBI in a season (333), doubles in a season (87), and total bases in a season (683). The season was capped off with Johnny Knox being named Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Year, headlining six All-Conference selections for the Bison. Knox and Hyde were both named to ABCA/Rawlings All-American Lists, with Knox on the Second Team and Hyde on the Third Team. Hyde collected the program's first Rawlings Gold Glove Award (OF) as one of the countries best fielders. 

This past season, the Bison recorded nine wins at home, including a weekend sweep of Curry College. Nichols earned a weekend split against nationally ranked Endicott in late April. The Bison recorded a team record (94) in stolen bases, posted the second most home runs (31) in a season, second most walks drawn (169).  Mayo's program saw four All-CCC honorees, including Brennan Hyde who earned ABCA All-Region 2 Third Team as well. Mayo moved into third on the All-Time Wins list with 78 wins after posting 15 in the 2023 campaign. 

Mayo was named the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Coach of the Year in 2021 following a record-setting season for the Bison. The team posted a 15-9 record, which was good for a .625 winning percentage – the highest for the program since the 2005 campaign. The Bison established program-records for home runs (29), on-base percentage (.444), and slugging pct. (.542), and also recorded the second-highest team batting average (.343) in program history. Nichols hurlers fanned 228 batters in 2021, second only to the 254 registered during his first season at the helm of the program in 2019. Nichols pitchers held opponents to a .256 batting average in 2021, which is the fourth-lowest mark ever recorded in Dudley. Seven Bison received All-CCC honors in 2021, highlighted by CCC Player of the Year Kyle Bouchard, Pitcher of the Year Jack Dicenso, and Rookie of the Year Brennan Hyde. Bouchard and Dicenso, along with Nate Cormier and DJ Caron, went on to grab All-New England Honors while Bouchard was named to the All-America Fourth Team.

The Bison were off to a scorching 8-2 start in 2020, highlighted by a doubleheader sweep of Bates and a season-ending win over Keene State. Nichols – which was a perfect 4-0 at the Russmatt Invitational in Florida – was the last Division III school in the country to play (and win) a game before the season was stopped due to COVID-19. The Bison recorded 10+ hits in seven of their 10 games in 2020 and ended the season with .310 team batting average.

In his first season on the bench at Nichols, the Bison won 21 games – the fourth-highest mark in program history – and returned to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) playoffs following a one-year hiatus. The Bison set single-season records for home runs (24) and earned run average (ERA) (3.77), while placing second in doubles (78), fourth in stolen bases (69) and hits (391), fifth in RBI (212), and sixth in runs (240) in program history. Five student-athletes were named to the all-conference team: Christian Naccari (First Team), Kyle Bouchard (Second Team), Joe Assenza (Second Team), Nathaniel Cormier (Third Team), and Brendan Duffy (Second Team); Duffy was also named CCC Rookie of the Year. Four student-athletes garnered CCC Academic All-Conference honors.

Mayo had spent the last three years at Trinity (CT) College as a full-time assistant coach and recruiting coordinator (2016-18), helping the Bantams to a 57-50 record during that span (2016-18) and an appearance in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship game in 2016. Mayo recruited at both the regional and national level, created detailed daily practice plans, and managed all aspects of alumni relations, including reunion, network nights, and donations.

Mayo is also the founder and owner of Dream Bat Company, which was created in 2005 and has produced bats used by many current professional players, most notable A.J. Pollack of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mayo began making bats in his basement and garage when he was coaching the Holyoke Giants, and used his players to test them. Dream Bat served as the official bat of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) from 2011-14 and the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) from 2010-12. They currently have two factories which produce the bats, which are sold at various stores and hitting facilities in the region. 

Additionally, Mayo founded and previously served as the general manager of the Dream Bat Bombers Player Development Baseball Program, which opened its doors in 2010. The Dream Bat Bombers are a hand selected group of high school players with an aspiration to play college baseball. The program is a year-round, wood bat baseball development club that is dedicated to player development and preparing high school players for the next level. Mayo was responsible for recruiting players for the program, managing and mentoring interns and coaches, scheduling, budgeting and fundraising, and the program’s website and social media accounts.­­­­­­

Mayo holds certifications from Savage Pitching and is Rapsodo Certified as well. 

Prior to his arrival at Trinity, Mayo was the lead assistant and pitching coach at Eastern Connecticut State (2014-16). The Warriors posted a two-year mark of 55-26 (.79 winning pct.) and earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division III Baseball Regional in 2014, when his pitching staff was No. 12 in the country in earned run average (ERA). Mayo was instrumental in the recruiting efforts of American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America pick Alex Zachary.

Mayo began his collegiate coaching career at Elms (2009), helping the Blazers advance to the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship game. The following year, Mayo moved on to Commonwealth Coast Conference affiliate Western New England, where he remained until 2014. The Golden Bears made four appearances in the NCAA Regionals with Mayo on staff, advancing to the College World Series in 2011. His staff allowed the second-fewest walks in the country in 2011.

From 2004-09, Mayo was both the pitching coach for the baseball team at Longmeadow High School, where he also spent time as the head coach of the freshman team (2004-07). He later was a bench coach on the USA Women’s National Baseball Team (2012-14; 2016), accompanying them to the World Cup in South Korea in 2016.

Mayo earned his Bachelor of Science from Springfield College in 2003 and his master’s degree in Education two years later. He was a Dean’s List student from 2001-03 as well as a member of the Pride baseball program.