PETOSKEY — This was something Nandy Lukusa couldn’t pass up.
The Traverse City West grad accepted the men’s basketball coaching job at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey going into the 2025-26 season.
He’d taken an assistant position at Defiance College in Ohio before being offered the head coaching spot at NCMC.
“He was recommended to me before I ever saw his resume,” NCMC athletic director Ashley Antonishen said. “When his resume came across my desk, I took notice.”
Former Bowling Green coach Robyn Fralick — now the head coach at Michigan State — wrote Lukusa a letter of recommendation. She coached BGSU from 2018-2023, while Lukusa was a grad assistant there. While they were both at Bowling Green, the Falcons tied the school record for wins in a season with 31 during the 2022-23 campaign and advanced to the WNIT Final Four.
Lukusa graduated from West in 2017 after a promising prep career was derailed by shoulder injuries. He spent four years at Grand Valley State, earning a bachelors degree in sports management and working in marketing and ticket sales.
He then spent two years at Bowling Green, earning a masters degree in sports administration. He returned to TC West for a year as an assistant varsity coach for both the boys and girls programs before a year at Muskingum University as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
“It’s a cool opportunity,” Lukusa said. “It couldn’t work out better. I love being closer to home. Having my family, my brother being able to come see me coach makes it special.”
Lukusa said playing for, coaching with and observing even more coaches and various styles led him to decide while at GVSU that he wanted to coach.
“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity,” Lukusa said. “It’s not often you get an opportunity like this early in your career. I feel extremely blessed that our athletic director instilled trust in me.”
Antonishen said the first round of interviews went well, demonstrating that Lukusa’s values matches those of the school.
“It was clear he had the right experience at the college level,” she said. “His philosophy is relationship-based and genuine.”
TC West coach Doug Baumann said Lukusa really helped Titan players in practice with cuts and spacing.
“He really helped a lot of the concepts we run today,” Baumann said. “His excitement and enthusiasm for the game was instrumental to getting these guys to play and be excited. I have no doubt he’ll do the same things at NCMC.”
The Timberwolves will have 14-15 new players this season, including local talent such as Cadillac’s Jaden Montague and Gavin Goetz and Harbor Springs’ Jack Clancy.
“I’ll be looking to get a lot of local guys,” Lukusa said. “I want to have that pipeline going.”
Brad Petersen and Gary Matelski are assistant coaches for Lukusa, who also holds the position of sports information director at NCMC.
NCMC’s women’s basketball coach is Michael Glass, the brother of legendary Leland volleyball coach Laurie Glass. Glass is in his second second year coaching the Timberwolves after coming over from Grand Rapids Community College.