Crim: Book has yet to close on Nesbitt’s coaching career as new chapter unfolds with Tigers

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — It appeared the book was closing on a career spanning more than four decades when Gregg Nesbitt announced in February he was retiring after 14 seasons as the head football coach at Truman State University.

Instead, another chapter is being written.

One day after Nesbitt announced he was leaving Truman State as the second-winningest coach in program history, Kevin Krietemeyer resigned as head football coach at Kirksville High School. Weeks later, Nesbitt was named his replacement.

Retirement lasted 28 days.

“Things fell into place,” Nesbitt explained. “The plan wasn’t to move over to Kirksville High School. I was probably going to explore some other opportunities. I had a grandson who was going to be a freshman at Kirksville, so I thought about offering to be a volunteer coach.”

The selection was met with optimism.

“There has been a tremendous amount of excitement from the standpoint of players and parents,” Nesbitt said. “They’re excited to see what I can bring to the table for them. But I’m not going to win any of these games; the kids will.”

Coaching at the high school level is not new to him.

Nesbitt got his start at his alma mater, Hannibal High School, after his playing career at Truman State ended following the 1979 season. He was an assistant, then head coach from 1984-89, guiding the Pirates to three playoff appearances.

After spending three seasons as an assistant at Truman State, he became the head coach at Columbia Hickman in 1993. The Kewpies made six playoff appearances in his 13 seasons there, including winning the 2004 Class 6 state championship to earn him Associated Press Missouri Coach of the Year honors.

Nesbitt returned to the collegiate ranks in 2006, first as defensive coordinator at Central Methodist, then as an assistant at Central Missouri. Truman State named him head coach in 2010.

The Bulldogs claimed a share of the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship in 2016, their first league title since 1988. The team won a school-record 10 games in 2019, including the inaugural America’s Crossroads Bowl.

Discounting the shortened covid season, Truman State won nine or more games for four straight seasons for the first time in history, beginning in 2019.

Nesbitt’s oldest son, Kellen, was elevated from defensive coordinator to interim head coach this season at Truman State. Findlay spoiled the Bulldogs’ opener Saturday, winning 37-21.

“Kellen … was more than ready,” Nesbitt said. “He passed me football-wise five or six years ago. He already was running the defense and the kicking game. I felt like it was a good time to step aside and give others an opportunity.”

The 66-year-old coach admits returning to high school has been an adjustment.

“In college, every kid is dedicated to playing football,” he said. “You have all different types in high school. There are kids trying it out, kids who like it and kids who jump in with both feet.

“It’s a work in progress every day. I’m learning every day. To their core, they want to be coached. They strive for discipline and organization. The kids have been the best part of the transition. We have some awesome kids here.”

Kirksville has not been a powerhouse in football. It has posted three winning records in the 10 seasons before this one, although all three have come since 2020. They have not advanced beyond the second round of district play.

Yet, the Tigers opened this season with a 35-0 road victory over Macon and were ranked 10th in the initial Class 4 Missouri Media rankings. They followed that with a convincing 42-7 win over state-ranked Chillicothe at home.

“It was business as usual for an old ball coach,” Nesbitt said. “It was competition. Nervousness never goes away.”

Moreover, his 14-year-old grandson, Blake, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker, registered a team-leading nine tackles against Macon.

“He’s a pretty good, solid, young athlete,” Nesbitt said. “He can compete a little bit.”

Two other teams on Kirksville’s schedule – North Central Missouri Conference foes Hannibal and Mexico – were ranked in Class 4 after the first week. Despite the fast start, there will be other tests along the way.

“I don’t have a clue,” Nesbitt said when asked about his expectations for his team. “I don’t have a feel for the level of play of the people we are playing against. There are some pretty good teams.”

Nesbitt enjoyed coaching both of his sons — Ryan is head coach at Jackson High School — in both high school and college. Another grandson, Bryce, is in the wings as a fifth grader in Kirksville.

“I don’t know if I can last long enough for him to get to high school,” Nesbitt said. “I’m trying this thing out, taking it year by year. It’s a quick season. We have seven weeks left. It’s over in a snap of the fingers. We’ll see how it goes and re-evaluate at the end of the year.”

One thing appears certain: The book is far from finished.