Nichols College Athletics

Brock Erickson took over the head coaching reins of the Nichols College men’s basketball team in the summer of 2021 and has piloted the Bison to their sixth-straight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship and berth into the NCAA Tournament. 

In his third season with the program in 2023-24, 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 the program's fourth 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 leading up to the program’s sixth consecutive conference championship along with a trip to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Throughout the season, the bison also claimed 20 consecutive victories dating from January 5th to March 10th,  which set a new all-time program record. Upon the completion of the season, 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, which was also ranked 10^th in the nation with the 12^th best rebounds-per-game average. On the national scene, the Nichols Bison ranked 9^th in the nation for overall team scoring, chalking up more than 87 points per game on average.

The Bison won three major awards during Erickson’s first season in Dudley as Jakigh Dottin took home CCC Player of the Year while Jaekwon Spencer was tabbed CCC Defensive Player of the Year and Tahmeen Dupree garnered CCC Rookie of the Year honors. Nichols closed the season No. 3 in the NCAA Division III Region II rankings and was No. 6 in scoring offense (88.2 ppg), No. 9 in personal fouls/game (13.1), and No. 43 in assist/turnover ratio (1.28).

Erickson spent the 2020-21 campaign as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was both the recruiting coordinator and shooting development coach under UIC head coach Luke Yaklich, and the Flames recorded the highest GPA in program history with Erickson monitoring the student-athletes’ academic progress.

Prior to his arrival at UIC, Erickson spent two seasons as the Associate Head Coach at Bryant University under Jared Grasso, the 2020-21 United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) District 1 Coach of the Year. In Erickson’s second year with the Bulldogs in 2019-20, he helped coach freshman Michael Green III to Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Year honors, while guiding two additional student-athletes to All-NEC accolades. Benson Lin joined Green on the NEC All-Rookie Team and Adam Grant was tabbed as a Second Team All-NEC selection.

The Bulldogs controlled the glass in 2019-20, finishing the season 11th nationally in rebounds per game (40.28). Erickson’s first season saw Grant earn National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District honors in addition to being one of three Bulldogs to garner All-NEC recognition. Off the court, the Bulldogs posted the highest GPA in program history while Erickson was on staff.

Erickson joined Bryant after serving as an assistant at Kent State during the 2017-18 season. The Golden Flashes advanced to the Mid-American Conference semifinals and picked up wins on the season over NCAA Second Round team Buffalo and Pac-12 member Oregon State. The Kent State backcourt was directed by Jalen Avery, the nation's top player in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.04) that year.

Erickson spent four years (2013-17) on the staff at Iona, a tenure that featured four postseason bids. The Gales won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championship in each of Erickson’s final two seasons to advance to the NCAA Tournament while earning National Invitational Tournament (NIT) bids in Erickson’s first two years. Iona won 22 games in each of Erickson’s final two seasons, earning a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2017 and a No. 13 seed in the 2016 field.

Prior to his time at Iona, Erickson served as the head coach at State College of Florida in Bradenton, Fla. In 2012-13, he guided the Manatees to a No. 8 ranking by the Florida College System Activities Association. His team led the nation in scoring that season at 95.1 points per game. SCF captured the 2013 Suncoast Conference Tournament title and qualified for the state tournament for the second time in 15 years.

Erickson's coaching resume also includes stints as an assistant coach at Monroe College, College of Eastern Utah and City College of New York. All three programs set new benchmarks for wins during his time on the bench.

Erickson played collegiately at Rhode Island before transferring to Assumption, where he ranks No. 8 in single season free throw pct. (.842 in 1996-97). Erickson graduated from Assumption in 1998 with a degree in business communications.

Career record at Nichols
 

	W	L
2021-22	25	4
2022-23	26	6
2023-24	22	4
Total	73	14

*2022-23 NCAA Elite Eight Appearance 
*2022-23 Commonwealth Coast Conference Champions
*2021-22 Commonwealth Coast Conference Champions