With a combined passion for both football and the school where he played the sport, Shawn Hickey returns to coaching as the interim head coach of the Silver Streaks. The Galesburg CUSD #205 Board of Education approved the hiring on Monday, July 1, 2024.
After graduating from Monmouth College in 2000, Hickey (‘96) returned to GHS in 2001 to teach social studies and became a member of the coaching staff, holding a variety of duties under Brian Dennison, Zach Shay, Zac Chatterton, Wes Olson, and Tim Dougherty through the 2011 season.
Calling himself "a Silver Streak at my core,” Hickey said a very late coaching change in the program stirred a strong desire to return to coaching.
“I could not stand to watch the program in disarray for the past few months before going into their season,” he said. “These kids deserve better, so I figured now was the time to get back into coaching -- for the kids, for the community."
A defensive-minded coach at heart, Hickey spent five seasons as Defensive Coordinator under Olson from 2006 - 2010. He also helmed the sophomore team under Chatterton before eventually stepping away as coach to fully focus on helping raise his family of three boys.
Among the reasons to return to the sport now, Hickey relishes the opportunity to guide a young staff, many of whom are also former Silver Streaks.
“I hope my leadership can engage the staff in a direction that has a focus on players-first instead of our own interests as coaches,” he said. “We need buy-in from the players in order to gain their trust. We need to empower the players to be accountable for themselves and the rest of the team. If we create a player-first environment, one in which athletes feel safe and comfortable, we believe that our numbers will increase."
Never far from the sport itself or the role of coach, Hickey has remained involved in coaching youth leagues through 8th grade in both football and baseball, most recently for the 16U Streaks baseball team this summer. He also has spent the last 7 seasons closely watching Silver Streaks football (and his two oldest sons) as an analyst for WGIL sports broadcasts of the games.
In the short time frame of what is left of the summer workouts and fall sports practices, Hickey said the immediate goal to rebuild Silver Streaks football involves building numbers first.
“We have implemented a recruiting plan that includes names from our players and input from all head coaches at GHS,” he said. “Galesburg athletics need to be working together to keep student-athletes participating and engaged in the school community. As program numbers increase, so will the success of the program."
Hickey and his wife Melissa, also a teacher in the Galesburg School District, have been married since 2000. They have three sons: Riley, a senior at the University of Illinois; and at GHS, Andrew, a junior; and Grady, a freshman.