Carius' new assistant, Frank Gramarosso, had initially recruited Nalley to Northwestern. The Wildcats attended a meet at North Central College, where everyone knew Cardinals coach Al Carius, one of the most popular and successful coaches in the nation. (The next school year he was its final head cross country and track coach before the programs were discontinued). In the spring of 1987, Nalley was an assistant track coach for Northwestern. In 1986, John Nalley took a student-teaching position at Glenbrook South under then-Titans distance coach Ken Kerr - who in 2022 is back in the building covering for a teacher on maternity leave, rubbing elbows with Nalley in the math department 36 years later. "You're just helping each other out as much as possible."īy the time John started his college running career at Northwestern University, his father already had formed friendships with the late Glenbrook South coaches John Davis and Dave Pasquini - who came out of Peoria Heights and had led a summer track program Hasenstein attended as a kid.Īs well, John had run in summer meets Davis and Pasquini offered at Glenbrook South. "The coaching world becomes very tight," John Nalley said. Given Carlin's stature and kindness, and the unique relationships enjoyed by track and cross country coaches who, as John Nalley noted, are able to engage with each other during competition, even lending occasional tips to other teams' athletes, he cast a wide net.
Seemingly far-fetched connections - which happen all the time in high school sports - like Andrew Johns, son of Glenbrook High School District 225 Superintendent Charles Johns, serving as Nalley's 2021 track captain at Palatine. Serendipity and connections spanning more than 40 years helped bring the Palatine resident and Lisle native to Glenbrook South. Nalley, thrilled to be able to help a friend who is nearing retirement himself, also is working as an instructional assistant in Glenbrook South sophomore and junior math classes - coincidentally, replacing the person who took his teaching position at Palatine.
"I don't have to tell a guy like John Nalley, 'Hey, can you do this?'" Hasenstein said. He loves the fact he and assistant Nick Morley gained a compassionate, genuine, high-character veteran who can roll out of bed and show athletes the right way to do things when they need to be done. "Just the fact that he can volunteer with us, it's a Godsend for us," Hasenstein said. He'll be a paid assistant with the track team, working with jumpers and sprinters. Nalley, who coached 29 state track medalists and six champions from 1992-2022, joined the Titans cross country staff this summer as a volunteer.
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