Eastern Greene is banking on Shawn Nikirk.
The T-Birds have tapped the former Bedford North Lawrence All-State receiver and former Stars assistant coach for 10 years to take over its football program. It will be the first head coaching job for the 49-year-old father of three who handles mortgages for Fifth Third Bank in Bloomington.
Nikirk is back on the sidelines after a four-year absence. He feels the time is right to come back. Oldest son Dalton just finished his baseball career at Trine University, while younger son, Dylan, is on the Trine football roster. His daughter is finishing up her senior year at BNL.
“It was a good time to get back in,” Nikirk said. “They’ve had success in the past and they’re on the right track. It’s close to my hometown and being a head coach is something I’ve always dreamed of. It looked like a good fit for me.”
Nikirk was an all-state receiver for the Stars, breaking the school record for receptions and TD catches in a season before embarking on a playing stint at Franklin. He’s coached youth football and baseball and spent nine years helping Steve Weber and one more under Derrick Barker with the Stars.
“As an assistant coach, you don’t have to deal with all the administrative things that go with being a head coach,” Nikirk said. “The scheduling, all the items that keep everything on the up and up with the program. And with coach Weber, I learned a lot of that stuff from them, but there is stuff of my own we’ll do.”
Nikirk has his staff picked out, including one holdover in JC Lewis, who will help on the defensive side.
“When I went into this and applied for the job, I had all my ducks in a row,” Nikirk said. “I already had the staff in place if I did get the job. We’re late in the game, so we’ll be getting with the kids on actual true football workouts on June 12.
“Eastern is out of school…
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Publish date : 2025-05-08 19:28:00
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