APPLE VALLEY, MN- Eastview High School Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Athletics Matt Percival has announced that Kurt Habeck and Nick Fornicoia will serve as Co-Head Wrestling Coaches for the 2015-16 season. Habeck has been the head coach at Eastview High School since the doors opened in 1997 and Fornicoia has been one of his assistants the entire time. This new opportunity to share in the role and duties of head coach is something both coaches are looking forward to as they believe this change will have a very positive impact on the coaching staff, the wrestlers, and the Eastview Wrestling program as a whole.
“I am very excited to be a Co-Head Coach for the Eastview Wrestling program with Nick Fornicoia,” said Habeck. “Eastview Wrestling will now have two head coaches working year-round striving to make Eastview Wrestling “Champions”.
“Nick’s individual success as a wrestler along with his passion for the sport of wrestling and coaching has helped him to become a great coach,” said Habeck. “This new opportunity will also help him in becoming a great head coach.”
“I am humbled and excited to be Co-Head Wrestling Coach at Eastview High School,” said Fornicoia. “I have spent the last eighteen years building this program as an assistant coach and I am extremely pumped to work with my good friend Kurt Habeck to continue to build Eastview Wrestling into one of the premier wrestling programs in the state.”
Habeck is entering his 25th year overall and 19th at Eastview High School as a social studies teacher, wrestling and football coach and weight room instructor. He is a graduate of Augsburg College where he competed in wrestling and was a captain on an NCAA Division III National Championship Team. Individually Habeck was a two-time MIAC Conference Champion, an NCAA All-American and an Academic All-American. Kurt and his wife Shelly four children, Hannah, Zachary, Erinn and Luke. When not involved in school activities Coach Habeck enjoys spending his time hunting, fishing and training for fitness.
Fornicoia is also entering his 19th year at Eastview High School. He is an English teacher and Television production teacher. In 2009, Fornicoia was named the Journalism Teacher of the Year by the Minnesota High School Press Association. He is also a weight room instructor. Fornicoia wrestled for Augsburg College and captured an individual National Championship as well as leading the team to two Team National Championship titles. He finished his career as a three-time All-American. Fornicoia was named the Section Assistant Wrestling Coach of the year two times and the State Assistant Wrestling Coach of the year in 2009. Fornicoia enjoys running marathons and ultramarathons in the off season. Nick and his wife Mara have two daughters, Sofia and Amelia.