Nico Brands enters his first season as an Assistant Coach for the Williams College men's lacrosse team in 2025.

Previously, he spent two-and-a-half years as an Assistant Coach at Ohio Wesleyan University. He served as the Battling Bishops' Defensive Coordinator and was part of a staff that garnered North Coast Athletic Conference Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2024 and a national top-15 ranking in scoring defense. In 2023, Brands helped guide the Bishops to a regular season NCAC title and a national top-15 ranking in scoring defense.

Brands came to Ohio Wesleyan from Wheaton College (Mass.), where he served as Defensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator for one year, helping guide the Lyons to a 10-5 record, the team's best in a decade, a national top-10 ranking in clearing and a top-15 national ranking in man-down defense.

Prior to Wheaton, Brands was an Assistant Coach at Vassar College for one season and served as Defensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator at Bard College for two years. He began his coaching career as a Volunteer Assistant in boys' lacrosse at Woodstock Union High School (Vt.) and later was an assistant boys' ice hockey coach at Woodstock Union, helping the team win a state championship.

Brands is a 2016 graduate of Bishop's University (Quebec). He was a two-time First Team Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association East All-Canadian selection as a defenseman and helped the Gaiters win the Baggataway Cup as the CUFLA national champion in 2011.

He is a native of Woodstock, Vermont.