EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma announced Sunday that head football coach Nick Bobeck resigned from his position.
The decision comes following Central's completion of the 2021 season.
"You get into coaching for the X's and O's and you fall in love with the people and that's the hardest part of this," Bobeck said. "I've had some great kids that have come through this program. I've enjoyed my time here. I love this university. But I believe this is the best decision for me and my family."
Bobeck was hired as the 13th head football coach at Central Oklahoma on Jan. 4, 2012 and tasked to return to his alma mater and lead the Bronchos. He ends his run at Central with a 47-54 record.
"We're grateful to Nick for 17 years of contributions to Central as a player, assistant coach and head coach," UCO Director of Athletics Stan Wagnon said. "His character and loyalty to this institution has never wavered. He is and will continue to be a Broncho and we wish him, his wife Keely and the family nothing but the best."
Bobeck first arrived on campus as a freshman in 1999. He played fullback for the Bronchos that fall, and the next three seasons after that. He earned First Team All-Lone Star Conference honors following his senior year in 2002.
Bobeck stayed at UCO after his playing days to begin his coaching career while earning his second degree from the institution.
He was a graduate assistant coach for three seasons, while the Bronchos went 20-12 and earned a trip to the 2003 NCAA Division II playoffs.
Bobeck made a stop at Texas A&M before moving to Navarro Junior College. There, he won a national championship and posted a 42-5 record in four years. He was inducted into the school's athletics Hall of Fame earlier this fall.
Bobeck returned to Edmond and took over the program he once played for in early 2012 and sprinted to the opening kick eight months later. The early years had some tough times, but highlights still surfaced. Like Bobeck's first win as head coach, a 2012 Week 4 upset over a top-five team in the country.
The UCO football record book began to change regularly during Bobeck's first few years as head coach as he led a few players to become all-time leaders at Central.
Josh Birmingham became the career leader in rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns, as well as points scored and touchdowns scored in a career. Christian Hood became UCO's career receptions leader. T.J. Eckert and Chas Stallard re-wrote nearly every passing and total offense record. And Seth Hiddink and Alex Quevedo hit most kicking records.
As a team, Central set four single-season records and two single-game records on offense under Bobeck.
In all, UCO football has 47 records that were completed on Bobeck's watch.
After a tough first two seasons in the win-loss column, Bobeck got the Bronchos running in 2014. He started 3-0 and finished the regular season 8-3, the most wins by any Broncho squad since the 2004 team he also coached as a GA.
He led the Bronchos to a postseason bowl game that year and that would become a norm for the next few seasons.
In 2015, Central had another winning season, going 7-5. The Bronchos posted the first back-to-back winning seasons under Bobeck and the first since 2003-04, again when he coached the team as a graduate assistant.
Central went back to a bowl game in 2015 and won this postseason contest over longtime rival Southwestern Oklahoma State.
Central had an off-year in 2016, going 3-8, but the team bounced back in a big way the next year.
In 2017, Central Oklahoma went 8-4 again and went to and won the Corsicana Bowl over another longtime foe, Tarleton State.
Bobeck had back-to-back winning seasons for the second time in his career in 2018, with Central going 8-4 one more time, and one more time winning a postseason bowl game.
Bobeck coached Central to four winning seasons in five years from 2014-18 and led the team to as many bowl games in that stretch.
The 2019 season ended with Central a game under .500 at 5-6. Bobeck didn't get an opportunity to coach the Bronchos in 2020 as the COVID pandemic forced the first cancellation of UCO football since World War II.
After a year off, Central returned to the field this fall. The Bronchos won their season opener and had a three-game win streak midyear before ending the 2021 campaign Saturday with a 4-7 mark.
