Nathan Roling announced as new Simpson head baseball coach

Nathan+Roling+announced+as+new+Simpson+head+baseball+coach

by Hunter Hillygus, Sports Editor

Nathan Roling has been announced as the next head coach of the Simpson baseball team, Simpson College Director of Athletics Brian Niemuth said Monday.

“Nathan has eight years of coaching experience at the collegiate level,” Nieumeth said. “Six of those years are in the Iowa Conference where he has been a part of a conference championship, two conference tournament championships and two trips to the NCAA tournament. He knows what it takes to win in this conference and came highly recommended by head coaches and athletic directors. We’re excited to get him.”

Roling has spent the last three seasons as the top assistant to Carl Tebon at Loras College. He handled the team’s hitting, catching and team defense, as well as duties as the recruiting coordinator. Prior to his stint at Loras, Roling held the same duties at Coe College from 2011-13, helping the Kohawks to two NCAA Tournament appearances and one Iowa Conference title.

“I would like to thank Brian Niemuth, the search committee, the entire administration and staff for this opportunity to be a part of the Simpson community,” Roling said. “I am very honored and humbled to lead the Storm baseball program moving forward.

“Through this hiring process, I was impressed by the passion and vision that Brian Niemuth and the staff has for this baseball program and athletic department. I am very excited to get on campus and start working with this tradition-rich baseball program, athletic department and the college.”

Roling comes to the Storm after leading Loras to a .316 team batting average this past season, good for second in the IIAC. He also coached the league’s leading hitter in freshman Austin Konagel, who hit .423 this past season.

Roling’s other coaching stops include the Dubuque Waves of the River Valley Summer Collegiate League, where he was named manager of the year in 2010 and Stevenson University in Owings Mills, Maryland, where he was a graduate assistant from 2008-10. He has also coached at the Cal Ripken MLB Experience Camp.

A native of Dubuque and a 2004 graduate of Cascade High School, Roling played collegiate baseball at Iowa Central Community College in 2005 and at Loras from 2006-08.

He was a three-time academic All-IIAC selection and served as the co-captain of the baseball team during the 2008 season. Roling graduated from Loras in 2008 with degrees in business and sports management and earned his master’s degree in business and technology management from Stevenson University in 2010.