Rulewicz Named as Head Football Coach at Western

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(April 13, 2021 3:38 PM) Western School District announced the appointment of Nick Rulewicz as new head football coach at Western High School.

Rulewicz brings more than 20 years of football coaching experience between the high school and college levels. As the offensive coordinator at Columbia Central High School, his teams recorded four of the top 10 scoring offenses in school history. Rulewicz matched that success with a two-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Michigan Center accumulating a school record for most points scored in a season in 2012 with 37.9 points per game and 35.8 points per game in 2013. 

Rulewicz was the assistant defensive line coach for Hillsdale College in 2011 when the team was GLIAC champions. While the growth of his family and his professional role removed him from the sidelines in recent years, he remained actively involved in the sport assisting the coaches at both Western and Constantine in an advisory capacity.

“I am very excited to welcome Nick as our next football coach”, Athletic Director Ryan Hackworth said. “I am confident he will build excitement amongst the student-athletes and the entire Western community will be proud of the football program under Nick’s leadership.”

He is a native of the Jackson area and graduated from Napoleon in 1995. He played football at Adrian College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in social studies/secondary education in 2000. He received his master’s in education from Spring Arbor University in 2005. Nick is married to Trisha and they have two children, Will and Henry.

“I am beyond excited and extremely grateful for this opportunity to be the next head football coach at Western High School,” Rulewicz said. “Coach Dave Mifsud has done an amazing job here and I look forward to continuing to build a champion culture here at Western. Family is very important to me. My wife and sons are here in our district and family will be a core value in all that we do as a program. 

“Our culture here at Western will also reflect perfect effort, positive attitude and outstanding personal integrity by our players and our coaches. We will play fast, tough, physical and with class.  We want our players to have the attitude of a champion in all aspects of their lives and represent our school and community the right way.”

Coach Rulewicz will meet with the high school players on Friday, April 16 and the middle school players the week on April 19.