Northside Patriots hire new head football coach

Northside High School has hired Dave Nurnberg as its new head football coach. Nurnberg, a Columbus High alum, joins the Patriots after spending the last three seasons as an assistant St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Ky.

“We had a lot of very good candidates apply for the job, and we interviewed several,” said Northside athletic director Morgan Ingram, who coached Nurnberg at Columbus. “At the end of the day, we felt he fit our program and fit the things we were looking for in a head coach. Knowing him and knowing the type of person he is didn’t hurt.”

Nurnberg served as St. Xavier’s offensive coordinator and saw the team post a 29-12 overall record during his tenure. In 2017, the Tigers’ offense averaged 33 points per game in a season that included 12 victories.

Nurnberg replaces Ingram, who resigned on Dec. 6 after five seasons as head coach. Ingram posted a 26-27 record in his tenure, which included an 8-3 mark in 2017.

For Nurnberg, returning to Columbus was too good to pass up.

“The chance to come back home was something we always kept our eye on as my family and I travelled around,” Nurnberg said. “There were a lot of different aspects about (the job) that were attractive. We’re thankful it worked out and excited to get a shot at it.”

This will be Nurnberg’s third stint as a head coach and his second in Muscogee County. Nurnberg became a head coach for the first time at Jordan in 2009. In his debut season, the Red Jackets won four games, the team’s highest win total in 13 years.

Nurnberg spent three seasons at Jordan and posted a 7-23 overall record.

Nurnberg became the head coach and athletic director at Winterboro High School in Alabama in 2012. After a 3-8 campaign, Nurnberg moved on to Father Ryan High School in Nashville and worked as an assistant. Nurnberg left Father Ryan for St. Xavier after the 2014 season.

Nurnberg explained he’s learned a lot about building a program since the last time he was a head coach.

“It becomes so much more about the culture of the program and how things are done as opposed to what you’re doing and the Xs and Os,” Nurnberg said. “Schemes change over time, the game evolves, kids graduate and the talent level changes. The core values of a program, the style of play, what you believe and what you are on and off the field are the things you look for in a successful program.”

Nurnberg said he’s met with the Northside players and attended an offseason workout, which allowed him to get a glimpse of what the team has been doing. He stressed that just because he’s new doesn’t mean a major overhaul has to happen; it’s more about understanding what has worked and meshing it with his own beliefs.

Nurnberg is just settling into his new position, but it’s apparent he already has a vision for the Patriots’ future.

“The structure of the program, the culture of the program and what we believe is going to be something that we are on and off the field,” Nurnberg said. “We want to put a product on the field that we’re proud of, but that’s not just a Friday night thing. That’s not just an August-to-November thing.

“We want the community to have a team that they can follow and support but also be proud of the way things are done.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Northside Patriots hire new head football coach."