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Coaching/Staff News

Coach Dennis KnepperThe National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association honored Coach Dennis Knepper as the 2018-19 Kerm Helmer Men's Bowling Coach of the Year. He received his first national Coach of the Year award after leading McKendree to five in-season tournament victories. The team placed third at the Intercollegiate Team Championships. Dennis has led the Bearcats to eight appearances in the national field in the last nine years and two national championships.

Shannon O’KeefeShannon O’Keefe, who guided the Bearcats to their fourth straight appearance in the NCAA National Collegiate Bowling Championship, made history in receiving her fourth consecutive NTCA Division II/III Women’s Bowling Coach of the Year award. She was also named MIAA Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year. Winning her second consecutive PWBA championship in 2019, she dominated the professional season with four victories at the PWBA Tucson Open, PWBA Twin Cities Open, PWBA East Hartford Open and PWBA Orlando Open.

Jim KisgenHead men's wrestling coach Jim Kisgen was named the 2019 NCAA Division II Super Region IV Coach of the Year and GLVC Coach of the Year. In his 16th season, he led the squad to first-place finishes at the GLVC Championships and NCAA Division II Super Region IV Championships, and a third-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Nickie SanlinHead men’s volleyball coach Nickie Sanlin was selected as the 2019 NCAA Division II Men’s Volleyball Ivan Marquez Award Winner after leading her team through adversity both on and off the court to meet or exceed preseason expectations. Picked to finish second to last in the MIVA preseason poll, the team won a program-high 13 games. They defeated Ohio State University for the first time, as well as a No. 8 ranked Brigham Young University squad (the highest nationallyranked opponent the Bearcats have ever defeated), and hosted their first MIVA Quarterfinal. More importantly, Nickie was a strong leader for her team through a devastating time off the court after the passing of team member Kirk Jackson in January. She was also named the MIVA Co-Coach of the Year.

Head swimming & diving coach Jimmy Tierney was named the recipient of the CSCAA Swim Across America Service Award, which recognizes a member’s effort in the fight to end cancer. He is one of the local organizers for the St. Louis Swim Across America event.

Anthony Francis, associate director of compliance, received a 2019 National Association for Athletics Compliance Rising Star Award on June 9.

Several coaches and program directors were hired or promoted over the summer.

 

  • Andrew Steppe was promoted to head baseball coach.

  • Todd Tucker is the new head men’s and women’s tennis coach.

  • Agne (Visockaite) Eggerth ’02 is the new head men’s and women’s cross country/track and field coach.

  • Dylan Mueth ’14, M.A.Ed. ’16 is the new head men’s hockey coach for Division II.

  • Garry Henson was promoted to head men’s hockey coach for Division I.

  • Josh Frisbee is the new athletics operations manager.

  • Dr. John Franklin is the new director of athletic bands.

 


FAN ZONE


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