Flowers retires as Carrollton football head coach

By Editor | March 9, 2022 |

By Carmen Ensinger

Submitted photo
Nick Flowers after a playoff win earlier this season.

“The time feels right, so I’m going to let someone else be in charge,” Carrollton Head Football Coach Nick Flowers said in announcing his retirement last week.

Flowers has been head football coach at Carrollton for the past 18 years. He began his football career on the football field at Carrollton as a player from 1994 through 1998. Then as a player at Monmouth College through 2001.

After graduating with a degree in education, he took a position with Southwestern where he also became an assistant football coach. The following year, he moved to the North Greene School District where he was also an assistant football coach.

He stayed at North Greene for two years before moving to Carrollton where he has been for the last 18 years. He is currently teaching driver’s education, health and some physical education courses.

Last year, he took the Hawks to State before succumbing to Lena-Winslow 38-25 in the State Championship Final. He ended his 18-year career at Carrollton with a career mark of 134-57.

Flowers said the decision is not one he made lightly.

“One of the reasons I waited until not to make my decision versus the end of last season is I wanted to make sure I wasn’t making an emotional decision,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I had thought things out. And so, I just really feel good about this decision.”
Looking back, he has a lot to feel good about.

“My heart is full with what I have been able to do as a coach,” he said. “We have won 10 or 12 WIVC South Championships. I forget how many playoff games we have won – like 17 or 18 and we have been State Runner-Up twice.”

One of Flowers great joys in coaching was being able to coach his own son, Hayden. But with Hayden graduating this year, now it is time to concentrate on his daughter, Lauren, who is a freshman this year.

“I think the time, with having my daughter as a freshman and my son graduating, the timing is just good to step away,” he said. “I’m not putting it all on my daughter, Lauren, as a reason why I’m getting out, but I think with a couple of those events occurring at the same time it makes it all that much easier for me.”

But what about after Lauren graduates? Would he consider another coaching position in the future?

“I don’t have any set goals or dreams or anything that I’m setting for the future to do that,” he said. “I would never say never, but if I had to answer that today, I would say probably not. I have loved it, I have enjoyed it, but coaching football is a lifestyle. You have to live that lifestyle. And it is a pretty demanding lifestyle and there are a few other things in life that I want to try to be able to do. I want to chase some other dreams as well. So, I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t think so and if I did, I maybe would come back as an offensive coordinator or something like that.”

In the meantime, Flowers said he has offered to help Carrollton pick a new head coach.

“I have asked and volunteered to be a part of that process,” he said. “I don’t know if they want me to be a part of that process, but I don’t see why they would not – it’s not like I have burned a bunch of bridges here. I would think that I would be asked to be a part of it, but you never know. Some administrators will allow it and some won’t. I guess we will see. But I have asked if I could be a part of that process so we will see what happens.”

Carrollton will graduate 10 seniors off of last year’s team, but Flowers said they have a great bunch of really good players coming up to take their place.

“We are going to be very competitive at the JV level and our equipment is in good shape as is our facilities,” he said. “I have really left things clean and put away neatly and so the next head coach coming in is going to be in really good shape and be able to come in and hit this head coach position running.”

We’re gonna miss you Coach Flowers!