Chérif Nicolas

Chérif Nicolas is the head coach for Bishop's University's football team, the Bishop's Gaiters.

University career Nicolas first played CIAU football at linebacker for the Carleton Ravens and was a member of the program from 1996 to 1998. However, after Carleton's football program was discontinued in 1999, he transferred to Concordia University to play for the Concordia Stingers.

Coaching career Cégep du Vieux Montréal Nicolas was the defensive coordinator for the Cégep du Vieux Montréal Spartiates for one year before serving as head coach for the team from 2010 to 2016 where he recorded 56–26. In 2014, he led the Spartiates to an RSEQ Division 1 Bol D'Or championship. His hire coincided with the Gaiters' first season in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference after spending the previous 16 years in the RSEQ. However, the Gaiters finished the 2017 season with a fourth consecutive 1–7 record. He won his first playoff game for the Gaiters over the Mount Allison Mounties that year, but lost to the Acadia Axemen in Bishop's first Loney Bowl appearance. On January 20, 2022, it was announced that he had signed a contract extension with Bishop's.

In 2022, Nicolas recorded his first winning season as a U Sports head coach as the Gaiters finished 4–3, but he lost the first semi-final playoff game of his career. In the 2023 season, the Gaiters finished in second place with a 6–2 record, but lost in the Loney Bowl to the X-Men.

Head coaching record