Three-time All-American Marty Nichols completed his 29th season as head coach at his alma mater during the 2024–25 campaign. He improved his career coaching record to 329-111-1, guiding the Bombers to a 16-2 mark in dual meets for the season.
Once again, Ithaca surpassed double-digit wins in duals, finishing with 16 victories and earning a No. 19 ranking in the final NWCA Top-25 Dual Team Poll. For the second consecutive year, the Bombers placed second at the NCAA Mideast Regional. Nichols added another accolade to his distinguished career, being named Regional Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the tournament. At the regional, Jackson Gray (174 lbs.) led the team in overall points. He, along with Tomah Gummow (125 lbs.), Isaias Torres (133 lbs.), Konrad Parker (165 lbs.), and Xavier Pommells (184 lbs.), qualified for nationals. Pommells earned his first All-American honor, becoming the program’s 84th All-American. Additionally, Gummow was named the 2025 SUNYAC Wrestling Rookie of the Year.
Prior to the 2023-24 season, Ithaca joined the SUNYAC where they finished second to Cortland in the SUNYAC Championships, which was the first SUNYAC men's wrestling championships since 1990-91. IC finished second as a team at the NCAA Mideast Regional with Jackson Gray (174 lbs.) and Isaias Torres (133 lbs.) earning their first-ever regional championships and they along with Wenchard Pierre-Louis (157 lbs.), Mathew Beyer (149 lbs.) and Ryan Galka each qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament. At the NCAA Division III championships, Isaias Torres finished seventh at 133 lbs. to claim All-American honors and Nichols and his assistants were honored as the SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year at the conclusion of the academic year.
The 2022-23 season saw impressive dual wins over No. 13 Ohio Northern University and No. 8 The College of New Jersey as the Bombers finished the NCAA Mideast Regional in second place as they were tied for the most pins in the tournament with nine. Isaias Torres (133 lbs.), Matthew Beyers (149 lbs.), Wenchard Pierre-Louis (157 lbs.), and Eze Chukwuezi (197 lbs.) each qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament where Eze Chukwuezi scored a very convincing 5-1 decision to earn third-place and his third career All-American finish. At the conclusion of the season, Nichols was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Mideast Region Coach of the Year.
IC returned to the NCAA Division III Championships during the 2021-22 season that saw them total 16.5 points as Eze Chukwuezi (5th; 184) and Jordan Wallace (8th; 197) became the latest two grapplers to be crowned All-Americans. In total the Bombers sent five wrestlers to nationals after posting a Runner-Up finish at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships where the team had one individual champion (Eze Chukwuezi), four finalists (Luis Hernandez, Travis Jones, Jordan Wallace and Edwin Rubio) and two fourth-place finishers (Matthew Beyer and Jackson Gray). The Bombers also posted an impressive showing when they captured their seventh-straight team title behind six individual champions at the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference (ECWC) Championships.
Ithaca concluded the abbreviated 2019-20 season at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships, which returned to the A&E Center for the second time over the past three years. The Bombers captured a Co-Regional Title, finishing in a dead-heat with nationally-ranked TCNJ in terms of team points. IC finished with six national qualifiers (NCAA Championships were subsequently canceled), while two Bombers - 133-pounder Travis Jones and 184-pounder Eze Chukwuezi - were crowned Regional Champions. Nichols would go on to be named Regional Coach of the Year for the tournament.
The Bombers enjoyed another fantastic season under Nichols during the 2018-19 campaign. For a second-consecutive season, Ithaca marked a Top-5 finish at the NCAA Championships, leading the Bombers to a fourth-place showing with 59.5 points at the 2019 Championships in Roanoke, Virginia. Five more wrestlers earned All-America honors under his guidance, which included a National Runner-Up in Jake Ashcraft at 184-pounds. Also notching All-America honors were: Ferdinand Mase (4th; 125-pounds), Ben Brisman (4th; 141-pounds), Austin Whitney (8th; 165-pounds), and Jake O'Brien (4th; heavyweight).
Two wrestlers also went on to capture ECWC honors, as Ashcraft was named ECWC Co-Wrestler of the Year, while Eze Chukwuezi was tabbed ECWC Rookie of the Year after capturing a berth to NCAA Championships in his debut season at 174-pounds.
The 2017-18 season was a highlight for Nichols, as he led Ithaca to its highest finish at the NCAA Championships during his 22-year tenure at the helm of the program. The Bombers posted 79.0 points at the year-end tournament, finishing in Third-Place out of 67 teams that qualified a wrestler to the event. Overall, the Bombers posted a 14-2 mark in dual meets, highlighted by a Third-Place finish at NWCA National Duals that was the program's highest-ever finish at the event. He also led Ithaca to a Third-Place finish at the New York State Intercollegiate Championships that was also a best for the program. On the strength of four individual champions, Ithaca captured its fifth consecutive ECWC Team Championship during the year as well.
Nichols was named 2018 Mideast Region Coach of the Year, while he went on to be named the Theraworx NWCA Coach of the Year, chosen from among the six Regional Coach of the Year honorees. Five Bombers went on to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Tournament, which included one Individual Champion (Ben Brisman) and one Runner-Up (Nick Velez), as well as Third- (Jake Ashcraft), Fifth- (Jake O'Brien) and Seventh-Place (Ferdinand Mase) finishers. Nichols also added a final award when he was named NCAA Championships Coach of the Year. Nichols was inducted into the NWCA Hall of Fame as a coach prior to the start of the 2018 NCAA Championships.
The 2016-17 campaign was another successful season for Nichols, which included a fourth-place showing at the NWCA National Duals in Fort Wayne, Ind. Ithaca captured its fourth consecutive Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Championship and eighth since Nichols took charge of the program in 1996. The Bombers sent six student-athletes to the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships for the second straight season, placing three All-Americans to bring the total number of IC All-Americans under Nichols' tutelage to 53.
Highlighting Ithaca's All-Americans was Carlos Toribio, who finished as National Runner-Up at 197-pounds. It was the Bombers' highest individual finisher since Alex Gomez also finished as a National Runner-Up at 133-pounds in 2014. Freshman Sammy Schneider recorded a fifth-place finish at 149-pounds, while Jake O'Brien finished eighth at 285-pounds.
Nichols led IC to a 16-5 record in dual meets during the 2015-16 season, which included the team's third consecutive ECWC Team Championship. Ithaca sent six wrestlers to the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, with three grapplers earning All-America honors. Carlos Toribio placed fifth at 184, while Jimmy Kaishian (125) and Nick Velez (165) each placed seventh at NCAA's. Dan Pak won a New York State championship at 149, while the Bombers won team championships at the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference championships, the Northeast Regionals, the Spartan Invite, and earned a 14th-place finish at NCAA's. Ithaca, which was ranked all season and reached as high as No. 2 in the polls, finished eighth at the annual NCAA duals.
During the 2014-15 season, IC sent two student-athletes to NCAA's and they earned two All-American finishes at the NCAAs. Ithaca won the title at the ECWC tournament, placed first at the NCAA Regionals and 10th in the New York State Championships. Alex Gomez finished fourth at 133 pounds for his third straight All-America performance and Kevin Collins came in sixth at 157 pounds. In 2014, Ithaca finished 11th in the country with 30.5 points. Gomez placed second at 133 pounds, while Kristopher Schimek took fifth at 164 points.
In 2013, Nichols led the Bombers to their fifth straight top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships. Ithaca finished fifth in both 2012 and 2013, with Seth Ecker and Jeremy Stierly winning national titles in 2012 and followed that with another fifth-place finish and national champion Ricardo Gomez in 2013; Nichols has now coached seven individual NCAA champions.
In 2011, Nichols was named NCAA Coach of the Year after leading the Bombers to a fourth-place finish at nationals, their best showing in 17 years.
The 1990 Ithaca graduate was named NWCA Rookie Coach of the Year after leading the Bombers to a 7-5 mark (improving on an 0-8 mark) and a 16th-place finish at the 1997 NCAA championships.
Since then he has led Ithaca to 12 more top-20 finishes at nationals. In 2002 Ithaca recorded a sixth-place NCAA finish, won the ECWC title and produced four All-Americans, including national champion Tommy Hall. Seven NCAA qualifiers in 2009 led Ithaca to another sixth-place finish and the 2010 team placed sixth as well.
Nichols has earned ECWC Coach of the Year honors seven times and was named New York State Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2011.
He has been the Division III National Wrestling Coaches Association's treasurer for the past 16 years. Nichols spent five years as the director of the New York State Collegiate Wrestling Hall of Fame and has represented the east region on the seeding committee at the NCAA Championships numerous times.
One of 10 three-time All-American wrestlers at Ithaca and a member of the program’s first two NCAA championship teams, Nichols was inducted into the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.
Nichols qualified for nationals all four years, winning the first of four 150-pound regional titles in 1987. As a sophomore he finished sixth in the 150-pound class at the NCAA meet. His junior season featured 32 wins, a 13-2 dual-match mark and a fifth-place finish at nationals, helping the Bombers win their first NCAA title. Nichols earned the school’s Jack Stanbro “Heart” Award at the conclusion of the season.
As a senior Nichols recorded a 32-5 mark, eight pins, an Ithaca Invitational title and runner-up showings at the state championship meet and at the NCAA championships as Ithaca defended its national title. Nichols earned a spot on the National Wrestling Coaches Association all-academic team and was presented with Ithaca’s Clyde “Whitey” Cole Scholar-Athlete Award. Nichols is tied for sixth on Ithaca’s career list with 115 overall victories and 42 dual-match wins.
From 1990 to 1992 he was an assistant wrestling coach at Division I Cornell University. The Big Red won the Ivy League championship both seasons and claimed the eastern title in 1992. Nichols then spent a year as assistant wrestling coach and the following season as head coach at Ithaca High School, before returning to Ithaca College as an assistant coach for the 1994-95 season. The Bombers placed third at the NCAA championships that year.
Updated: 7/16/2025
