Lincoln College Announces New Coaches
Boyd Nowicki is New Softball Coach, Jordon Bakley is New Wrestling Coach

[April 10, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

Lincoln College has hired two new coaches for its wrestling and softball programs. Boyd Nowicki of Petersburg will coach women’s softball, while Jordon Bakley of Huntley will be the new wrestling coach.

Bakley, a graduate of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, has been the head wrestling coach at Central District 301 High School in Burlington, which serves several Kane County communities, since 2015.

Nowicki has been the head women’s softball coach at Robert Morris University in Springfield since 2011.

“I’m very pleased that we have been able find two highly qualified and enthusiastic coaches for these important programs,” said Lincoln College Athletic Director Mark Purdue. “Lincoln college has a strong tradition in both of these sports and Jordon and Boyd are excited to help us build on those traditions as we transition to four-year athletics.”

Jordon Bakley

“Coaching wrestling at Lincoln College, with its longstanding record of excellence in the sport, is a humbling but very exciting opportunity,” Bakley said. “Lincoln College built an outstanding reputation as a wrestling powerhouse among two-year schools, now I want to build on that tradition and make us one of the top four-year programs.”

“The softball program at Lincoln College is known not only for the quality of its athletes on the playing field, but for their outstanding scholarship as well. Last year, the Lynx softball team was the top academic team in the nation. That’s a tradition I plan to continue, as we build a winning program both on and off the field,” Nowicki said.

Boyd Nowicki

At Robert Morris University, Nowicki also built a top reputation for academic achievement among his softball players, having the most National All-Academic Team members in the US Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). At the same time, he coached a Player of the Year, First and Second Team All-Americans, four All American Honorable Mention players and 29 National Fast Pitch Coaches Association All Americans.

In addition to serving as head wrestling coach at Central High School, Bakley has taught math in the central school district over the past 3 years. He has also been an assistant coach for Top Dawgs Team Illinois All Stars club wrestling and was a technique instructor for Old School Wrestling Training Center in Huntley.

[Mark Gordon
Public Relations and Media Manager
Lincoln College]