Updated January 6, 2022
Mark Nowicki joined the Wayne State football staff in February of 2020 and served as the tight ends coach again in 2021.
He guided tight end Nick Poterack to First Team All-GLIAC honors in 2021. WSU ranked second in the GLIAC in both third-down conversion percentage (40%) and yards per completion (13.1), and third in rushing yards per game (181.5), yards per carry (4.8), total offense per game (359.5) and first downs per game (18.5).
In addition, two student-athletes (Dayton Keller and Nick Poterack) earned GLIAC All-Academic honors for maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
Nowicki joined the Warriors after serving as a defensive analyst at Eastern Michigan during the 2019 campaign, which saw the Eagles win six regular-season contests and play Pittsburgh in the Quick Lane Bowl. EMU also recorded a 34-31 triumph at the University of Illinois.
The 11 years (2008-2018) prior to working in Ypsilanti, Nowicki was the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Northville High School. He spent the first seven years (2001-07) of his high school coaching career as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at South Lyon High School. During his years as a high school coach, the two schools combined for 13 playoff appearances, six division championships, and three conference championships, along with one district and one regional title.
Nowicki began his coaching career as a student assistant at Hillsdale College, his alma mater, working with the safeties in 2000.
He was a four-year member of the Charger football team (1996-99) and began his collegiate career under the legendary WSU and Hillsdale coach Dick Lowry. He graduated in 2000 with a degree in Health and Physical Education and a minor in Biology.
Nowicki was a 2020 inductee into the Quincy High School Hall of Fame. He won nine varsity letters in three sports and was a top performer in each during his prep career.
In football, Nowicki was a three-year starter at quarterback and set many school records including: most completions in a season, most touchdown passes in a season and in a career. Nowicki earned Honorable Mention All-State, All-Area and All-Conference recognition and was also the team’s most valuable player.
He was a member of the 1994-95 basketball team that reached the regional finals. Nowicki led the team in scoring, and was an All-Conference and All-Area selection along with being selected as the team's most valuable player. He earned four letters in track, where he finished eighth in the mile relay at the State Level in 1996. He was the Varsity Club Athlete of the Year for 1995-96.
He and his wife Courtney have two sons, Jack and George, and a daughter Caroline.
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