For Nick Burlingame, becoming the new Angola High School girls basketball coach is as much a new challenge for his coaching career as it is returning to his alma mater.
The Angola alumnus is heading home after the Metropolitan School District of Steuben County approved his hiring as Lady Hornet head coach on May 19. Burlingame spent the last 3 seasons as boys basketball coach at NECC foe Lakeland High School.
"It was a bitter sweet night," Burlingame tells ParkviewSportsMedicine.com. "But I felt it's such a great opportunity. It's my alma mater, a place where my family has been for a long time. I couldn't be more excited."
"He will bring tremendous passion, energy, and knowledge of the game to our program," Angola athletic director Steve Lantz said.
The Lady Hornets won 20+ wins each of the last three seasons, two Northeast Corner Conference regular season championships, two NECC Tournament titles and a sectional title. Burlingame replaces Brandon Appleton, who took the Angola boys basketball opening in April. Appleton has proved to be a great resource in the transition, Burlingame says.
"The expectations and standards all stay the same," he adds. "My message to the girls moving forward is not to be satisfied. Being successful is hard, but sustaining success is harder."
Burlingame's coaching career dates back to his first teaching job after graduating from Purdue University. He was the boys JV coach at Lafayette Jefferson from 2012 to 2017 before moving back to Northeast Indiana.
He credits his head coach at Lafayette Jeff, Scott Radeker, for showing him how to run a program, and praises Lakeland assistant coach Delmer Bontrager for helping him find his head coaching groove.
"I love the game of basketball. I love coaching and working with kids," Burlingame beams.