After 33 years, business teacher, Mr. Bill Nieman, is retiring.  Mr. Nieman never held the lifelong dream of being a teacher. He discovered his passion after coaching an intramural volleyball team at his alma mater, Bryant College.  There he got hooked on teaching. Not only a teacher, Mr. Nieman was the head softball coach here for 30 years; he also coached girls basketball for 30 years and girls tennis for 26 years. Many of his teams have had great moments of success, notably the 1994-1995 girls’ basketball team reaching State finals and setting the record for 25 wins in a season.

While a remarkable coach, Mr. Nieman has also left his legacy academically at Morris Hills. He works with seniors in the Cooperative Marketing Education program. These seniors leave school early to go to work and attend a Marketing class where they learn vital life skills such as communications, resume writing, and advertising. Mr. Nieman has nurtured this program for years and grown invaluable relationships with employers around the County, leading it to grow into the flourishing program it is today. Kaitlyn Draney, Student of the Year in Mr. Nieman’s class, described Mr. Nieman as a “very generous man who will bend over backwards for any of his students.” She said, “he taught me life lessons that I will keep with me.”

His personal impact on his students and athletes is obvious, as several have invited him and his wife to their weddings. In fact, one student even asked Mr. Nieman’s daughter, Emily, to be her flower girl in her wedding. When asked about what he enjoyed most about his time teaching, Mr. Nieman noted that he had enjoyed the meaningful interactions with his students and the lifelong friendships he has developed with Morris Hills colleagues. He also said he will miss “doing something [he] really enjoyed for 33 years, including the A day meetings with Mr. Rosenberg and Mr. Wittner where [they] solved some of the world’s problems.”  Mr. Wittner had nothing but praise for Mr. Nieman. He called him a “very, very, dedicated man,” referencing his ability to coach three sports and was in awe of “all the people he has influenced.”

In his retirement, Mr. Nieman primarily plans to spend time with his parents, wife, and children. He is also considering venturing back into coaching or working as a recruiter. You may catch him around in the next few years, as Mr. Nieman isn’t quite done with Morris Hills yet. He will definitely be back to watch his son Billy’s football and baseball games, as well as support Coach Maclay’s boys’ basketball team.