Nick Wood steps down as Lawrence High boys basketball coach, becomes athletic director

Nick Wood is moving from Lawrence High’s boys basketball sideline into a broader role that will help steer the school’s athletic priorities, student experience and program culture. Starting July 1, he will become Lawrence High’s athletic director and assistant principal, a shift that puts one of the school’s most visible athletic voices inside the building’s day-to-day leadership.

The move comes as Lawrence High absorbs the loss of principal Quentin Rials, who died May 19 after serving in the job since 2023. Rials was a 1995 Lawrence High graduate and helped lead the Lions to the Class 6A state basketball championship as a senior, making his death especially personal for a school that has long tied its identity to both academics and athletics. His celebration of life was held May 30 at Grace Presbyterian Church in Lawrence.

Wood’s new assignment also returns him to a role he has held before. He served as Lawrence High’s athletic director during the summer of 2020, when school sports were trying to navigate the COVID-19 disruption, then stepped away about a year later. He came back to the basketball program in 2023 as head coach, giving him another two seasons of direct contact with players before this latest transition.

For parents and athletes, the practical question now is who shapes the program next. Wood said he wants the next boys basketball coach to understand the culture of the program, have ties to it if possible, and bring strong Xs and Os experience rather than being rushed into the job. His departure leaves the school to balance continuity in basketball with the wider influence he will now have over athletics across the building.

Wood is not disconnecting from the team immediately. He said he will remain involved through June, including summer practices, a camp at Pittsburg State University and a team showcase in Missouri. That overlap gives Lawrence High a short runway to manage both the coaching transition and the broader administrative handoff.

Wood said the school and the Lawrence community have given him a lot, and he sees the change as a way to give back by helping provide students the kinds of experiences he had growing up. He will work closely with Mike Gillman, who starts July 1 as interim principal. Gillman has worked at Lawrence High since 2021 and previously served there as assistant principal and athletic director.

The district said a permanent-principal search will begin in late fall and include students, staff, families and the broader community. For Lawrence High, the next few months will determine not only who leads the boys basketball program, but also how the school defines its athletic direction after a period of loss and turnover.