Iwasaki resigns as Austin College head baseball coach

Iwasaki resigns as Austin College head baseball coach

(Story courtesy of Austin College)

SHERMAN, Texas - Austin College head baseball coach Carl Iwasaki will be stepping down from that position to become the head coach at the University of Northern Colorado, it was announced today. Iwasaki recently completed his fifth season at the helm of the Kangaroos and leaves with a career record of 102-130.

"On behalf of our administration, players and alumni, I want to thank coach Iwasaki for his time at Austin College," said Austin College Athletics Director David Norman. "We are excited for Carl and this new opportunity and wish him the best of luck. Our primary concern now is to find the best perons to lead our baseball program and build upon the positive components that coach Iwasak developed, and we will begin the process immediately."

Iwasaki is a 1985 graduate of Northern Colorado, where he was also a standout player. Iwasaki will be making the rare jump from NCAA Division III to the NCAA Division I level as he takes over the Bears baseball program, which competes as a part of the Great West Conference. During his time at Austin College, Iwasaki led the 'Roos to new heights which included a 2007 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship and a berth into the NCAA Tournament, both of which were firsts in program history.

Iwasaki coached 25 players to All-Conference status and four were named All-Region, while 65 of his student-athletes earned Academic All-Conference honors during his five seasons. Iwasaki was a two-time Coach of the Year, once in 2006 during the team's final season as a member of the American Southwest Conference and again the following season in the program's inaugural year in the SCAC.

"I want to thank Tim Millerick for hiring me in 2004 to take over the Austin College baseball program, and I also want to thank David Norman for his tremendous assistance over the years," said Iwasaki. "I would also like to thank Dr. Oscar Page and Dr. Marjorie Hass. Dr. Page played a crucial role in our success, and I feel confident that the leadership of Dr. Hass and David Norman will continue to move Austin College in a great direction. My one goal at Austin College was to build a program that alumni and current players alike could be proud of, and I feel I have accomplished that goal."