Marty Nichols graduated from Cassadaga Valley Central School in 1986 and won the 138-pound Section VI title that year while finishing fifth at the state tournament. File photo

ITHACA — Ithaca College men’s wrestling head coach Marty Nichols (Class of 1990) will be honored for his outstanding athletic achievements and lifelong dedication to the sport with induction into the Upstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Nichols will receive the Lifetime Service Award during a ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 21, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Syracuse.

A three-time All-American during his collegiate career at Ithaca, Nichols recently completed his 29th season as head coach of the Bombers, improving his career record to 329-111-1. Under his leadership, the team posted a 16-2 dual meet record this season. Nichols was named the 2025 NCAA Region II Coach of the Year, while guiding Xavier Pommells to an All-American finish at 184 pounds and mentoring Tomah Gummow, who earned SUNYAC Wrestling Rookie of the Year honors.

Nichols began his coaching journey with assistant roles at Cornell University and Ithaca High School, eventually returning to Ithaca College as an assistant coach in 1994. He was promoted to head coach in 1997 and made an immediate impact, earning NWCA Rookie Coach of the Year after leading the Bombers to a 7-5 record and a 16th-place finish at the NCAA Championships — an impressive turnaround from the previous 0-8 season.

Over the years, Nichols has received numerous accolades, including NCAA Coach of the Year in 2011, seven ECWC Coach of the Year honors, Mideast Region Coach of the Year in 2018, 2020, and 2023, NCAA Championships Coach of the Year in 2018, and SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year for the 2023-24 academic year. He is also a 2023 Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

The wrestlers he has coached over the years have racked up a host of accolades under his command. He has had seven individual NCAA champions along with 46 student-athletes who have earned All-America honors.

Nichols was born in 1968 and graduated from Cassadaga Valley Central School in 1986. He played football and wrestled for the Cougars. He was the Section VI 138-pound champion and finished fifth in the New York state tournament in 1986.

As a student-athlete, Nichols qualified for the NCAA Championships in all four years of his collegiate career, winning the first of four 150-pound regional titles in 1987. He placed sixth nationally as a sophomore and followed that with a standout junior season, recording 32 wins, a 13-2 dual-match record, and a fifth-place finish at nationals — contributing to Ithaca’s first-ever NCAA team title. Nichols finished his career with a record of 115-38, which ranks tied for 10th in program history for career wins.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, houses a dedicated room for the Upstate New York Chapter, showcasing mementos and tributes to the region’s most esteemed wrestling figures.