For the first time since 1996, Norman High has a new football coach.
In a motion unanimously approved by the Norman Board of Education Monday, Greg Nation will be NHS’ new coach. Nation will replace Butch Peters, who resigned last month after 35 years as a coach, the last 12 as head coach.
The board went into an executive session at the conclusion of Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting to receive the recommendation from superintendent Dr. Joe Siano.
“We had a very thorough process,” Siano said. “There were a lot of good applicants, including our internal applicants. But we felt like Greg brought experience from a variety of places. He had a vision for what he hoped for for the football program and he had a lot of respect for Butch Peters and the tradition of Norman High School.”
Nation had been an assistant coach with Sapulpa the last two seasons, coaching defensive backs, receivers and defensive line. He was also strength coordinator.
Before that, he had been head coach at Bishop Kelley, in Tulsa, from 1996-2004. While there, he led the Comets to six straight playoff appearances. In his first season, he led the Comets to their first winning season in 11 years.
While coaching at Kelley, Nation was also the quarterbacks coach for the Tulsa Talons of the Arena 2 Football League from 1999-2000.
From ’92-’96, he was an assistant at Bristow, Tulsa Edison and Tulsa Central. He was head coach and athletic director of Montrose Academy in Montrose, Ark. in 1990.
Nation graduated from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., in 1987 with a bachelors degree in education. In 2005, He acquired a masters degree in education from Tulsa, where he was a graduate assistant under then coach Steve Kragthorpe.
A few NHS players were in attendance to learn of their new coach.
“It’s kind of a shock,” running back Nick Lipham said. “We all thought it was going to be (Tiger assistant) coach (B.W.) Trenary.
“(Greg Nation) kind of sounds familiar. We’ll just go in and work hard for him.”
Sports
Nation gets the job
- Sports
-
-
First round offers tough challenge at U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links
Ordinarily, the top of the leaderboard is where you want to be. In the case of U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club, being in the top 64 after 36 holes of stroke play is all that matters....
-
Golloway’s exit closes interesting chapter in Sooner lore
Some people. Clearly, former Oklahoma baseball coach Sunny Golloway is one of them. Which is to say … actually, OK, I have no idea....
-
Heartland Classic faces weather delays
The fourth annual Heartland Baseball Classic didn't get off to the start officials had hoped for Monday. After an early morning storm, the Southmoore High School diamond was not ready for the opening ceremonies or the accompanying home run ...
-
Home course advantage at Jimmie Austin
Home-course knowledge proved to be valuable Monday. The thunderstorm that blew in early Monday morning also shifted the wind from south to north at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club The overwhelming majority of the field in the U.S. Women’s ...
-
The missing piece
ARDMORE, Pa. — The most recent golden era of golf in England had everything but the one prize that brings credibility. A major championship....
-
Changing the rules in the NCAA?
The WNBA’s first president feels that women’s college basketball needs to make changes if the sport is to grow....
-
Marchand draws line between dirty and tough
BOSTON — Brad Marchand is known in Boston as the “Little Ball of Hate,” a nickname that captures his stature — he’s listed at 5-foot-9 — and his tendency to get on the nerves of opposing players....
-
Heat against the wall
MIAMI — The Miami Heat weren’t supposed to be in this situation. Not now, anyway....
-
St. Louis on top
ST. LOUIS — Rookie Shelby Miller pitched five shutout innings and Yadier Molina had a two-run double to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night....
-
Bruins in control
BOSTON — Tuukka Rask shut out the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night and got enough help from the Bruins’ offense to do it without another exhausting overtime. After playing four extra periods in the ...
- More Sports Headlines
-
