Darren A. Nichols, 52, is a 30 year veteran and award-winning journalist, who is seeking to combine his varying interests in the industry.
Nichols has spent the majority of his career as a longtime reporter at The Detroit News. For more than 20 years, Nichols has been on the frontlines, outlining Detroit's issues in City Hall covering every mayor since Coleman Young.
Among the topics Nichols has covered included the launch and subsequent aftermath of the Kwame Kilpatrick administration and outlining the financial crisis under Mayor Dave Bing. That work led to Detroit becoming the only major U.S. city to be under state control and bankruptcy proceedings. Nichols also covered the historic election and first year of the Mike Duggan administration. Outside of City Hall, Nichols also covered Rosa Parks' funeral and was a leading reporter on the award-winning project commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1967 riots.
His deep knowledge of Detroit and the surrounding areas has led Nichols to currently work as a contributing columnist at the Detroit Free Press. His first column appeared in June 2020, where he delved into discussing police misconduct on drivers with his children. In April 2020, Nichols column in the New York Times highlighted Detroit’s massive problems dealing with Covid-19.
But Nichols' roots remain in sports. He is the son of a longtime Detroit coach and administrator, Charles Nichols.
The elder Nichols coached legendary teams at Kettering High School, where the school's gymnasium is named in his honor. He also served as an assistant under Dick Vitale at the University of Detroit and head coach at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Darren Nichols, meanwhile, sought to be a sports reporter. While a journalism student at Wayne State University, Nichols covered sports at The Michigan Chronicle, Cincinnati Enquirer, Observer and Eccentric Newspapers, Detroit News and Indianapolis Star. Assignments included Detroit Martin Luther King's run to become the PSL's first state champion in football, 1989 NBA finals, hydroplane racing, World Cycling, AAU basketball and Golden Gloves Championships. He also secondarily covered the Detroit Pistons, Lions and Cincinnati Reds and Bengals.
Legendary sports interviews included boxer Aaron Pryor, Michael Jordan, Barry Sanders, Tom Izzo, Jerome Bettis, Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson. His biggest thrill was meeting and covering Muhammad Ali, considered the greatest boxer and athlete of all time.
After suffering a major stroke in Sept. 2014, Nichols shares his story as an ambassador for the American Heart/Stroke Association. It includes media appearances and public speaking engagements.
In 2018, Nichols launched DNICK Media, a multimedia company to handle his endeavors. Clients have included Microsoft,
Focus: HOPE, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Athletic Club, The New York Times and OVP Management Consulting Group.
A member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Nichols is the former Detroit Chapter president and deputy regional director.
