Former UCLA head equipment manager Richard Nichols died Monday at the age of 63 after a long illness.
Nichols was a member of a very exclusive club, being only the third person to hold the position in the school’s history before he retired after the 2000 Sun Bowl.
After joining the staff in 1968 and being promoted in 1976, he was at the helm in the equipment room for a total of 25 years.
“Nick” came from a UCLA family with his father working for campus facilities and was passionate about his job.
“UCLA was his love,” assistant equipment manager Phil Hollenbaugh said. “He loved the whole thing, not just football or basketball.”
In the equipment room Nichols was always focused on getting whatever needed to happen done. He brought an attention to detail and an old-fashioned work ethic.
“He was what you would call from the old school,” said Tony Perri, current head equipment manager and assistant under Nichols. “No one was gonna distract him from his goals for the school or the department. … He expected (the same) from us. We had to be on our game.”
In his time at UCLA, Nichols was around for, and involved in, a lot of glory of the UCLA athletic tradition. He was working behind the scenes during numerous championships, rivalry games and Bowl wins, with the Terry Donahue era coinciding with his own at UCLA.
“He and coach Terry Donahue were very close,” Hollenbaugh said.
In the recent past, Nichols participated in the 30-year reunion of the 1976 Rose Bowl-winning football team that was held at UCLA last June.
Nichols is survived by his wife Sherry, his son Richard, daughter Kathy and three granddaughters.
There will be a viewing on Monday, April 9 between noon and 8 p.m. at Gates, Kingsley and Gates Moeller Murphy in Santa Monica.
A graveside service is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, April 10 at 1 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica.