SPECIAL FIGHTER
June 21, 2016
LPSO breaks ground on 525-prisoner jail; facility to open January 2018
June 21, 2016
New Nicholls coach Richie Riley has completed his inaugural coaching staff.
The Colonels announced this week that John Aiken, Marlon Terry and Austin Claunch will be Riley’s assistant coaches for the 2016-17 season – each landing in the program after enjoying success at major conference programs in previous seasons.
Aiken is the most experienced of the bunch, serving as both a head coach and assistant coach for the past decade.
A Portland, Maine native, Aiken started his coaching career as an assistant at the University of New England. He also was both an assistant coach and head coach at Belhaven – a tenure that lasted from 2008-2014.
For the past three seasons, he’s been at the University of Tennessee-Martin where he served as lead recruiter and was recognized as one of the top small-conference assistants in the country.
Aiken said he can’t wait to get started at Nicholls – a program he thinks has potential to be a winner.
“I am beyond excited to be joining the Nicholls community and have fallen in love with the town of Thibodaux in a short time,” Aiken said. “(Coach Riley) is one of the bright young coaches in the country.”
In Terry, Riley has secured an assistant coach familiar with the South.
Terry was a student assistant at UTEP from 2004-07 – a gig which allowed him to land at Angelina Junior College in Texas from 2007-08.
A native of Philadelphia, Terry then moved to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock from 2008-10, then the University of Montevallo and then Maryland Eastern Shore.
Riley said Terry’s biggest strength will be recruiting.
“He has a passion for developing relationships from a recruiting standpoint and with our current players,” Riley said. “His connections make him a great addition to our staff.”
Rounding out the staff will be Claunch, who lands in Thibodaux after following Riley from Clemson.
He was an assistant with the Tigers last season after serving as a graduate manager with the program from 2013-15. Claunch was also an assistant coach at George Mason from 2012-13.
He said he’s anxious to get to Nicholls and work to build the team into a winner.
“It’s exciting to have the chance to learn from a rising star in coaching with the passion and enthusiasm that Coach Riley possesses,” Claunch said. “Nicholls is a special place and the people of Thibodaux have welcomed me with open arms. I am truly blessed to be part of the Nicholls family.” •
