Nesbitt looking forward to huge opportunity as head football coach at Cheboygan
ST. CLAIR – Bill Nesbitt has had two passions for as long as he can remember.
Football and Northern Michigan.
Now, the former St. Clair coach will have the opportunity to turn around a once-excellent program in the north.
On Monday, the Cheboygan Area Schools Board of Education officially approved the head coaching hire of Nesbitt, who will take over the Cheboygan High School varsity program this upcoming season.
“I’m tremendously excited to be back as a head coach,” Nesbitt said. “There’s just an opportunity as a coach to try to impact kids and student-athletes. It’s been something that’s been missing from my life.”
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Nesbitt replaces Dave Schulz, who served as Cheboygan’s coach for nine seasons before stepping down last December. Previously, Nesbitt served a 12-year stint as head coach at St. Clair, leading the program to a 70-51 overall record, a state semifinal appearance in 2013, and the school’s first-ever district title in 2005. While Nesbitt hasn’t been a head coach since 2016, he served as Marine City’s offensive line coach for multiple years since.
After hearing about the job opening, Nesbitt researched Cheboygan’s history and found interest quickly.
“It’s a long and storied history,” Nesbitt said of Cheboygan. “I know they haven’t had as great of success in recent years, but I know over time it’s been a strong program with seemingly great support, which I think is most important. More than the wins and losses over time, it's the support you get from the community and the district and from the administration, and it seemed like all those things were aligned.”
Joining a program that’s fallen on hard times over the last decade, Nesbitt knows what he wants to bring to Cheboygan.
“There’s really two parts, and the first and most important is I believe high school athletics, particularly football, it’s truly the greatest team sport,” Nesbitt said. “Every team sport has its niche, but football can truly be a transformative opportunity for kids to prepare them for the rest of their lives.
“My goal always as a coach is to be playing when the snow’s flying, which means making a postseason push.”
While Nesbitt hasn’t moved up north just yet, he said he plans to start substitute teaching in Cheboygan as soon as possible and wants to build relationships with his future players.
“We’re getting a late start on the preparation for next year, but I don’t believe that’s an excuse for not having great success, because we owe it to the seniors to make their senior year as great as it can possibly be,” Nesbitt said.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Bill Nesbitt hired to take over Cheboygan High School football program
