Nick Palazzo begins his fourth season as the head coach of men's indoor and outdoor track & field at Rhode Island College. He is one of the best throwers' coaches in the region, having helped many of RIC student-athletes reach the NCAA National Championship, as well as earning All-American, All-New England and All-Conference honors.
Palazzo took over the helm of the RIC track and field program after spending four years as an assistant coach with the men’s and women’s track & field program where he worked primarily with the team’s throwers.
A native of Providence, R.I., Palazzo was a standout on the men’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams at Rhode Island College from 2002-2006. He closed out his outdoor career as a senior in 2006 by placing third and earning All-ECAC honors in the hammer with a distance of 54.15 meters at the ECAC Championships. Palazzo earned All-ECAC honors in the hammer earlier in his career as a sophomore in 2004, while also picking up All-New England honors in the hammer during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He also earned N.E. Alliance honors in the hammer for four consecutive outdoor seasons.
Palazzo’s indoor track & field career was highlighted by a sixth-place performance at the 2003 N.E. Div. III Championships as he earned All-New England honors after recording a distance of 164’10.00” in the hammer. Palazzo also earned N.E. Alliance honors in the weight throw as a senior in 2006 and as a junior in 2005, while also earning N.E. Alliance honors in the hammer as a freshman in 2003.
Palazzo earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Rhode Island College in 2007 and currently resides in North Providence.
Since his graduation he has worked in carpentry and has worked also worked as a track & field coach for four years, spending three seasons at Central Falls High School and one season at Hope High School. During that span, Palazzo coached four All-Americans, five State Champions and one state record holder.
