Northeast Names Nick Lincoln its next head coach
Tagged under: District 12, News, pfn
Anthony Franklin | April 29, 2024
Nick Lincoln has been a staple of the high school scene in the Philadelphia region for over a decade spending most of his time as an assistant and then head coach at powerhouse Imhotep Charter. He served as an offensive assistant coach handling offensive coordinator and quarterback coach duties during 2 stints with the Panthers. In between those stints he was head coach of District 1 program Penn Wood while also spending a year at local Division 3 university Delaware Valley University as the QB coach and co-special teams coordinator and as head coach in Wilmington at Delaware Military Academy.
Last year as the QB coach for Imhotep he helped guide star QB Mikal Davis to a career year both rushing and passing as the Panthers finally broke through and won their second ever state championship. Nick will take over an Northeast program that last year had a down year by their own standards finishing 7-6 overall losing in the Public League 6A championship game to neighbor rival Abraham Lincoln High which ended their streak of 5 consecutive Public League titles.
Being a veteran around the region Coach Nick stated “First and foremost I’m blessed for the opportunity to lead the Northeast football program. I thank God for directing my purpose, & I want to thank my wife Jasmin for supporting my passion”. When asked what led him to apply and seek the Head Coaching position at Northeast he stated “Northeast was attractive to me for a number of reasons, primarily I think I’m built to be coaching football in Philadelphia, it’s a different demeanor here that’s hard to find anywhere else. Specifically, to Northeast, we are talking about the third biggest high school in the state of PA. We have 3500 students, and a diversity you won’t find anywhere else. In addition, the legacy and alumni network at Northeast is strong. This is a traditional powerhouse with many people who want to see the football program on top again. I’m excited for the challenge to build a culture at Northeast HS that everyone can get behind”.
Fresh off a state championship game win as the QB coach at Imhotep he shared “This was such a great season to return to Imhotep for my third stint. It came full circle as I returned to the same position I started with, working with the Quarterbacks & assisting in the development of the offense. To some extent you can trace much of the success in the Philadelphia region to a coach with Imhotep roots. Of course, we start with Coach Dev leading the success at Tep currently, then you have coach Albie leading Neumann, coach Prete at Roman, coach Troy at Cheltenham, coach Marcus at Boys Latin, coach Schmidt coaching OL at Lasalle, coach Eric coaching DBs at West Chester, coach Omar at Syracuse, and now coach Linc at Northeast”.
Coach Nick says alumni, students and fans “can expect the championship blueprint and formula that has led to the rise of football in the Philadelphia region. On the field, we will play tough, hard nose defense, special teams will be a prominent aspect of the game rather than an afterthought, and our offense will dictate the tempo and explosiveness of the game. We want to build a culture at Northeast High School that our alumni and fans will be proud of. Beyond the field, the goal is to utilize football as a vehicle to guide young men through manhood and into college. In addition, you will see ODAAP on our sideline. A non-profit I have continuously used in my playbook, using football as a tool for violence prevention and teaching regulation techniques and resiliency. We are going to earn everything we are seeking, onward always”.
Lastly when asked how being able to coach in three different environments having coached at Imhotep Charter, Penn Wood and Delaware Military Academy down in Wilmington prepares him for the Northeast job he stated “I think you just continue to develop as a leader of young men, never basking in your own success but knowing there is always more to learn and grow. Coaching at Imhotep really developed my NCAA acumen and helped me to build a network of recruiters and college coaches to glean from. The overall culture at Imhotep is definitely my coaching foundation in the area. Penn Wood taught me how to build culture from the ground up and the importance of the grind. Going from 2-38 over the four years prior to reaching the playoffs in my third year at the helm took culture. The everyday habits and consistency that’s required to be a champion. Finally, Delaware Military Academy was most definitely an experience for me, coaching somewhere I was unfamiliar with and a community I did not live in. We fell short in the state semifinals my first year at DMA, but the relationships I was able to build with those young men will last a lifetime. All in all, I’m honored and humbled to lead the charge at Northeast High School. I can promise you our program will be prepared for battle, poised in adversity, and passionate about our purpose – coaching young men to improve themselves and our community, one scholar at a time, by any means necessary”.
The Public League 6A will be quite competitive with the likes of Imhotep, Lincoln, Northeast and George Washington all vying for the league crown and the right to match up against the CL Champion which will probably be either La Salle College or St Joes Prep.
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