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McCook High School names Umscheid as wrestling coach
Former Roncalli
assistant will
also aid football,
weightlifting
It's an oldie but a goody as far as sports clichés go, but "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" certainly applies to new McCook High School wrestling coach Nick Umscheid.
Umscheid was on the Omaha Bishop Roncalli sidelines last fall as an assistant football coach when the Crimson Pride lost 21-0 to McCook in the Nebraska Class B state football championship game.
Now Umscheid, 25, will get his first head coaching opportunity at McCook.
"My best moment was beating Gretna in the semifinals of the state playoffs," Umscheid said. "My worst moment was losing to McCook in the championship."
Umscheid was officially hired as the Bison wrestling coach at Wednesday's McCook school board meeting.
He replaces Dean Reicks, who resigned to take a position with the Nebraska National Guard.
Umscheid served as the assistant wrestling coach at Roncalli for three seasons.
Umscheid will also be an assistant football coach at McCook, and will assist head coach Jeff Gross with the school's weightlifting program.
Umscheid, an Elkhorn High School and University of Nebraska-Omaha graduate, said he is excited about his first head coaching post.
He said Reicks was instrumental in bringing him to McCook.
"I saw an ad in the Omaha World-Herald and put in an application," Umschied said. "I heard nothing but good things about McCook and the community and I knew coach Reicks. He really built up the program.
"I will really be excited to get to know the kids. I'm getting ready to pack and hope to be there by Monday."
Umscheid said he is also excited about assisting the football and weightlifting programs at McCook High School.
He will also direct the McCook Youth Wrestling program during the spring.
He noted that he has been associated with winning programs such as Elkhorn, UNO and Roncalli, and hopes that experience translates to McCook.
Umscheid, who is single, will teach geography and civics at MHS. He specializes in world geography and American History.
In addition to being an assistant coach for a state runnerup football team, Umscheid was a member of the Elkhorn football team that won a state title in 1996.