JournalStar.com

Orduna returns as LCS coach

By RON POWELL / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, May 06, 2008 - 12:20:04 am CDT
After a six-year hiatus, Nick Orduna is back as the girls basketball coach at Lincoln Christian High School.

Orduna stepped down in 2002 after guiding the Crusaders to the Class C-1 state title, becoming the student ministry pastor at Faith Bible Church.

He will also be back in the classroom full-time this fall, teaching junior high and high school bible classes.

“I’ll be doing three things I’m passionate about — teaching the Gospel, working with kids and coaching basketball,’’ said Orduna, who coached eight seasons in his first stint at LCS. He was a starting guard on Christian’s state championship boys basketball team in 1988.

“I subbed (substitute taught) for two weeks at Lincoln Christian last October, and I realized how much I missed the classroom and being around kids all day,’’ Orduna said. “I began to pray about it and God opened up some doors to make it happen.’’

Orduna said his family situation is a bit more favorable for coaching than it was six years ago.

“All three of our children are in school now,’’ said Orduna, whose oldest son, Andre, is a freshman at LCS. “I’ll be able to see his games because we play boy-girl doubleheaders.’’

Orduna inherits a young, but experienced team with four starters back, including standout sophomore center Morgan Dority.