Birthdate: July 10, 1930
Birthplace: Jackson, Michigan
High School: Jackson St. John’s
College: University of Toledo (1953)
Year Inducted: 2010
Bob Nichols put University of Toledo basketball on the map. In 22 years as Toledo’s coach, beginning in 1965-66, he had 20 winning seasons. He took the Rockets to the NCAA Tournament in 1967, 1969 and 1980. The 1969 squad advanced to the Sweet 16 with a win over Iowa when Stan Joplin made a last-second jump shot. Teams coached by Nichols won five Mid-American Conference Championships. His 1966-67 team produced a school-record 23-2 mark. Nichols’ teams won 376 games and lost 212. His 376 wins are the most by any coach in MAC history. In one three-year stretch, Nichols’ UT teams went 5-0 against Big Ten competition. Nichols played at Toledo from 1951-53 and was co-captain in his senior year. He was head coach at Toledo Central Catholic High School for seven years (1956-63), compiling a 111-39 record and winning three city league championships.
