RIVER FOREST, ILL. –
Kolin Conner, who led the Concordia University Chicago baseball program to three Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) tournament appearances and secured 100 career wins as a head coach, has announced his resignation.
"I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Kolin for his years of service to Concordia University Chicago," Interim Director of Athletics and Vice-President for Student Success & Athletics
Kathy Gebhardt noted. "His leadership both on and off the field has helped to shape dozens of student-athletes who have grown under his guidance. Kolin's passion for the game, commitment to excellence, and care for his players have left a lasting legacy and, for this, we are grateful. We wish him continued success in all of his future endeavors."
Conner has led the Cougars to a 100-110 record, including three NACC Tournament appearances in the past four years. His first season saw the team ranked No. 19 in the nation in the preseason poll and No. 21 at the start of regular play, but the COVID-19 pandemic cut that season short. Nevertheless, Conner's leadership has produced 25 NACC All-Conference athletes, including 11 in the 2025 season. He has also coached seven All-Region honorees, 14 CSC Academic All-District selections, and one American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division III Region All-Defensive player. Most notably,
Michael Kasik was named to the CSC Academic All-American Third Team after a standout 2023 season.
Under Conner's guidance, the program has seen significant statistical increase with players such as
Tyler Dorsch,
Michael Kasik,
Jack Rector,
Wyatt McLaughlin,
Elijah Hickman,
Cole Carman,
Christian Jacob,
Dylan Ferraro,
Bryce Jones,
Sammy Valdez,
Westin Stutzman,
Brady McCleery,
Jake Mahler, and
Tyler Krater all breaking into the top ten in the program record book. Additionally,
Brody Mariotti set a new school and NACC record with 35 career home runs in 2022 while writing his name in many areas of the record book.
Since assuming the head coach position, Conner has pushed the Cougars in the classroom as well. The team boasts the highest male GPA on campus over the past decade, with an impressive 3.3 Team GPA. The program averages 32 athletes on Dean's List and 24 NACC Scholar Athletes per year.
Before becoming the head coach, Conner served as the head assistant at Concordia for four years. During that time, the team made two College World Series appearances, won four NACC regular-season titles, and reached the No. 1 national ranking. Conner was honored as the 2018 Assistant Baseball Coach of the Year by the ABCA. As an assistant, he worked with the team's hitters, catchers, and strength and conditioning program. Under his leadership, the Cougars posted a .321 team batting average and averaged 7.8 runs per game over his four years as assistant coach. During that period, 11 position players earned NACC All-Conference honors, including
Mitch Wilson, who earned the distinction three times. The team also produced multiple All-Region players and set several program records for hits, with Wilson,
Joe Silva, and
Bryan VanDuser breaking those records.
In 2020, Conner's influence helped three of his former players—VanDuser, Wilson, and Silva—earn spots on the D3baseball.com All-Decade Team.
In a 2019 interview following his promotion to head coach, Conner noted that he wanted "to be known as a coach who truly cares about his players, works hard, and is a good person" -- a reputation he is well known for during his time at CUC.
The Concordia University Chicago administration is committed to continuing the long-term success of the baseball program.
