New Coach at Laurence

[DeanOfSelection]

Adam Nissen out as St. Laurence football coach​

A year after leading St. Laurence to its first state championship game in 44 years, Adam Nissen is out as St. Laurence football coach.
The school announced in a statement Friday that Nissen’s coaching contract will not be renewed, ending his six-year tenure.
“I’m still in complete shock,” Vikings senior running back Harley Rizzs said. “There’s still a lot of confusion going on. We don’t really know why (this happened).”
“We thank Coach Nissen for his commitment and contributions to the Viking Football program,” athletic director Tim Chandler said in the statement. “As our program prepares to compete at a higher classification next season, we will begin the search for new leadership to build upon our strong football tradition and continue developing outstanding student-athletes at St. Laurence.”
Nissen led the Vikings to the Class 4A title game in 2023, losing 59-38 to unbeaten Rochester. It was St. Laurence’s first state-final berth since finishing second in Class 5A in 1979. The Vikings’ only other trip to state was in 1976, when they went 13-0 and won the Class 5A title.
The Vikings finished 8-4 this season, losing 26-14 in the Class 4A quarterfinals to eventual champ DePaul Prep.
St. Laurence navigated around significant injuries to two of its top players, Illinois State-bound quarterback Chase Kwaitkowski and Rizzs.
“As a team, we feel it all got thrown away,” Rizzs said. “We put a lot of work in for it to all go down from here. … I felt I had a good relationship with him. He was like family to me.”
Nissen was 35-28 with three IHSA playoff berths in his six seasons. His .556 winning percentage is the best for a Vikings football coach since Bob Fabrizio was 19-13 (.594) from 1986 to ’88.
Rizzs praised the culture Nissen developed at St. Laurence.
“It was probably one of the best brotherhoods you could have in a program,” Rizzs said.
It’s the second time in less than a decade that St. Laurence has parted ways with a coach who had significant playoff success. Current De La Salle coach Harold Blackmon took the Vikings to two semifinals and one quarterfinal between 2015 and ’17 before being let go after the 2018 season.

 

[sporthog_9er]

First Blackmon and now Nissen...both "blindsided"

 

[ssczar76]

More to the story here... supposedly his relationship with the principal was sour. Does that mean uncle Frank is out also?

 

[Dave Brody]

Does Buz end up here?

 

[PowerI66_]

First Blackmon and now Nissen...both "blindsided"

Sounds like a school for a coaching candidate to avoid

 

[IgorStL]

Sounds like a school for a coaching candidate to avoid

Nobody was "blindsided" in 2018. Don't believe everything you read.

 

[McCaravan]

More to the story here... supposedly his relationship with the principal was sour. Does that mean uncle Frank is out also?

Blackmon pinned his firing on Coach Frank. Coach Frank was there before Nissen, he didn't bring him in, probably the other way around.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2019...-st-laurence-looks-ahead-to-leading-oak-lawn/

 

[IgorStL]

Blackmon pinned his firing on Coach Frank

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2019...-st-laurence-looks-ahead-to-leading-oak-lawn/

Frank had zero to do with it

 

[ssczar76]

Blackmon pinned his firing on Coach Frank

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2019...-st-laurence-looks-ahead-to-leading-oak-lawn/

Agreed but Niesen was his guy. Maybe the guy from Chicago Christian gets a call.

 

[LWN_Pheonix]

Blackmon was NOT liked by anyone

The team experienced some incredible results under his leadership, but he had the alumni seething

What happens at DLS is going to be his defining moment as a coach… and we saw what took place this season

 

[McCaravan]

Agreed but Niesen was his guy. Maybe the guy from Chicago Christian gets a call.

I'm sure they will call him but I don't think this would be an offer he couldn't refuse. He won State at Chicago Christian, he has amazing job security, Laurence has fired two Coaches in 7 years that have made it the the quarters, semifinals and State Championship game.

 

[Topiarydan1]

Look for Larry to do a Marist and hire a solid away from a rising public school (Fitzgerald Part 2)

 

[crazylegs777]

Adam Nissen out as St. Laurence football coach​

A year after leading St. Laurence to its first state championship game in 44 years, Adam Nissen is out as St. Laurence football coach.
The school announced in a statement Friday that Nissen’s coaching contract will not be renewed, ending his six-year tenure.
“I’m still in complete shock,” Vikings senior running back Harley Rizzs said. “There’s still a lot of confusion going on. We don’t really know why (this happened).”
“We thank Coach Nissen for his commitment and contributions to the Viking Football program,” athletic director Tim Chandler said in the statement. “As our program prepares to compete at a higher classification next season, we will begin the search for new leadership to build upon our strong football tradition and continue developing outstanding student-athletes at St. Laurence.”
Nissen led the Vikings to the Class 4A title game in 2023, losing 59-38 to unbeaten Rochester. It was St. Laurence’s first state-final berth since finishing second in Class 5A in 1979. The Vikings’ only other trip to state was in 1976, when they went 13-0 and won the Class 5A title.
The Vikings finished 8-4 this season, losing 26-14 in the Class 4A quarterfinals to eventual champ DePaul Prep.
St. Laurence navigated around significant injuries to two of its top players, Illinois State-bound quarterback Chase Kwaitkowski and Rizzs.
“As a team, we feel it all got thrown away,” Rizzs said. “We put a lot of work in for it to all go down from here. … I felt I had a good relationship with him. He was like family to me.”
Nissen was 35-28 with three IHSA playoff berths in his six seasons. His .556 winning percentage is the best for a Vikings football coach since Bob Fabrizio was 19-13 (.594) from 1986 to ’88.
Rizzs praised the culture Nissen developed at St. Laurence.
“It was probably one of the best brotherhoods you could have in a program,” Rizzs said.
It’s the second time in less than a decade that St. Laurence has parted ways with a coach who had significant playoff success. Current De La Salle coach Harold Blackmon took the Vikings to two semifinals and one quarterfinal between 2015 and ’17 before being let go after the 2018 season.

They had the talent to win it all & didn’t do squat in the playoffs so no loss. They beat the teams they should have & lost to teams they shouldn’t. Let a kid play in state title last year who should have been kicked off the team if the stories are true & I love the Vikings

 

[crazylegs777]

Blackmon was NOT liked by anyone

The team experienced some incredible results under his leadership, but he had the alumni seething

What happens at DLS is going to be his defining moment as a coach… and we saw what took place this season

He did GREAT at Oak Lawn

 

[UlbKA91]

Look for Larry to do a Marist and hire a solid away from a rising public school (Fitzgerald Part 2)

Does Sheehan at Richards leverage his semifinals appearance or does SL try to grab a SWSC or WSC coach.

 

[McCaravan]

He must have really pissed someone off there because it appears he was beloved by his players, granted it was 4A but he took them to the State Championship game last season and if they beat DePaul they probably win it this year. Their freshman team apparently was very good. They said something about moving up in classification in the news clip, do they have zero faith that he could have success in higher classes with their current system? That's a shallow move to not even give him an opportunity after what he's done the past couple seasons, which leads me to believe this is because of something internal between him and the Powers that be. Someone mentioned the Principal, but in my HS experiences the Principal rules the student, the President rules the staff

 

[McCaravan]

Does Sheehan at Richards leverage his semifinals appearance or does SL try to grab a SWSC or WSC coach.

Leaving Richards for Laurence would not be a step up on the coaching ladder IMO. Almost an apples for apples move with possibly less money in one basket

 

[eireog]

@guerinfbfan I hope you have a lot of copies of your resume.

 

[colin2229]

More to the story here... supposedly his relationship with the principal was sour. Does that mean uncle Frank is out also?

Maybe he becomes the new HC. The current head of school is the one who brought Lenti to St Laurence.

 

[mc140]

Look for Larry to do a Marist and hire a solid away from a rising public school (Fitzgerald Part 2)

Well who is a successful public school coach who started in the system after January 1st, 2011 that would take the six figures to leave their job?

 

[mc140]

St. Laurence also axed their basketball coach after last season. That guy was doing a pretty good job. They replaced him with his assistant, the ex Rita coach.

 

[kwamizee]

Agreed but Niesen was his guy. Maybe the guy from Chicago Christian gets a call.

I don't think so. He has found his fit at Chicago Christian

 

[crazylegs777]

I don't think so. He has found his fit at Chicago Christian

With all the departures we will see how they do from here. I hope the success means more kids coming to play football

 

[McCaravan]

St. Laurence also axed their basketball coach after last season. That guy was doing a pretty good job. They replaced him with his assistant, the ex Rita coach.

I wouldn't trust that coach as far as I could throw him. He turned Rita's team into an extension of an AAU team then they all bolted leaving the program absolutely bare.

 

[minkusman7]

I wouldn't trust that coach as far as I could throw him. He turned Rita's team into an extension of his AAU team then they all bolted leaving the program absolutely bare.

1. He doesn’t have an AAU program and never has.
2. They left after he resigned from Rita. How is that his fault?

Even if those two facts were true, I don’t know what that has to do with trusting the guy.

 

[OnVikings!]

I wouldn't trust that coach as far as I could throw him. He turned Rita's team into an extension of his AAU team then they all bolted leaving the program absolutely bare.

Coach Russell was well liked at Rita and was hired by StL because Coach Burt (well liked at StL) was applying for public school jobs and possibly leaving. Both great guys from what I’ve been told. Coach Russell is a hell of a recruiter. Three freshman on varsity at StL this year for a team currently ranked in the top 25.

I don’t know where some of you are getting your info from, but most of it is false and apparently coming from an StL hater.

 

[Topiarydan1]

Well who is a successful public school coach who started in the system after January 1st, 2011 that would take the six figures to leave their job?

Well Fitz at Marist is paid WAY better than a lot of public league coaches.

 

[AmbroseBlack]

Well Fitz at Marist is paid WAY better than a lot of public league coaches.

I ask this sincerely. Are you referring to just his coaching stipend or overall salary? For those head coaches in the Catholic League that are also teachers how do their salaries compare to public once you factor in benefits and pension?

 

[Topiarydan1]

I ask this sincerely. Are you referring to just his coaching stipend or overall salary? For those head coaches in the Catholic League that are also teachers how do their salaries compare to public once you factor in benefits and pension?

Not all Catholic League coaches are teachers. I don't believe Fitz is a dual coach-teacher. I believe he is a FT admin who primarily coaches football and is paid very well (and frankly he has proven his worth).

https://www.marist.net/directory/fitzgerald-mr-michael/

 

[mc140]

I ask this sincerely. Are you referring to just his coaching stipend or overall salary? For those head coaches in the Catholic League that are also teachers how do their salaries compare to public once you factor in benefits and pension?

The new move in the CCL is to just coach and work in "development" if your the head football coach. Not a bad gig if you can get it. The downside is job security.

 

[sac'em]

Would STL not renew Nissen's contract if they found out that he applied for another HFC position at a public school?

 

[Topiarydan1]

Would STL not renew Nissen's contract if they found out that he applied for another HFC position at a public school?

For sure - especially if he told he did not and then it was found out he did. Martinez would be well within his righ to do that. Very legitimate reason

 

[OnVikings!]

I wouldn't trust that coach as far as I could throw him. He turned Rita's team into an extension of an AAU team then they all bolted leaving the program absolutely bare.

St. Laurence also axed their basketball coach after last season. That guy was doing a pretty good job. They replaced him with his assistant, the ex Rita coach.

Coach Russell and the Vikings just knocked off undefeated HF at the Team Rose Shootout and Mike O'Brien has them ranked #7....

Maybe they know what they're doing at StL?

 

[McCaravan]

Coach Russell and the Vikings just knocked off undefeated HF at the Team Rose Shootout and Mike O'Brien has them ranked #7....

Maybe they know what they're doing at StL?

Never said they weren't good. They got talent. He's a good Coach, I just don't like how things went down at Rita. Ended up with them being Preseason #2 one year to winning 2 games the next. Hands in the air I don't know the exact in and outs of what happened at SR outside of what many of my SR friends and co-officers tell me but not many people leave a head coaching job at at their Alma Mater for an assistant gig followed by almost 100% of their roster. I don't know....but again never said they weren't good.

 

[McCaravan]

Coach Russell and the Vikings just knocked off undefeated HF at the Team Rose Shootout and Mike O'Brien has them ranked #7....

Maybe they know what they're doing at StL?

So back on topic what happened with Nissen?

 

[OnVikings!]

So back on topic what happened with Nissen?

I was just as shocked as everyone else to hear the Nissen news. I will say this: The President and AD at StL always have a plan. And I can’t say that many of their decisions have come back to bite them in the *** thus far. Time will tell.

 

[RetiredReferee]

I was just as shocked as everyone else to hear the Nissen news. I will say this: The President and AD at StL always have a plan. And I can’t say that many of their decisions have come back to bite them in the *** thus far. Time will tell.

Sounds like Kevin Warren and Ryan Poles.

 

[BobbyBoucher9]

Bob Kelly

 

[refref01]

Look for Larry to do a Marist and hire a solid away from a rising public school (Fitzgerald Part 2)

Not many if any private schools can pull that off. Marist, MC and Loyola probably the only ones. That's a huge financial commitment

 

[refref01]

Never said they weren't good. They got talent. He's a good Coach, I just don't like how things went down at Rita. Ended up with them being Preseason #2 one year to winning 2 games the next. Hands in the air I don't know the exact in and outs of what happened at SR outside of what many of my SR friends and co-officers tell me but not many people leave a head coaching job at at their Alma Mater for an assistant gig followed by almost 100% of their roster. I don't know....but again never said they weren't good.

I do not think leaving Rita was his decision. The players all left because he left that is true and they were all there because he was there.

That is the nature of high school sports.

Are the dots connecting former De LaSalle (MC connected player) coach turned Marist assistant to St L not viable connections?