Written by Kayla McCloud
Entering his first year as head baseball coach, Kolin Conner recounts his journey into coaching. Conner found his love for coaching while he was in high school where he realized that he wanted to be around the game of baseball for the rest of his life. Coaching provided the opportunity to combine his two passions in life: baseball and helping others. One of the best feelings that coaching provides is being able to “be around our guys and watch them grow into men,” according to Conner. Though Conner played two seasons with the Joliet Slammers, a minor league team based in Joliet, IL, he quickly returned to his alma mater to begin working as a volunteer assistant coach while also helping with kid’s camps. While at St. Joseph’s College, Conner found the opportunity for an interview as the head assistant coach at Concordia University Chicago (CUC) and decided that coaching was something he genuinely wanted to continue doing.
With the (CUC) Cougars, Conner found himself in the position to learn under the leadership of former head coach Mike Stawski. Conner served as the head assistant for four years where the Cougars made two World Series appearances, won four NACC (Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference) titles, and reached the number one ranked team in the country. Conner was named the “2018 Assistant Coach of the Year” by the American Baseball Coaches Association for his work with game crew, hitters, strength and conditioning, and recruiting. Conner hopes that as he continues to coach, he continues to build a legacy that will be known for years to come, “I want to be known as a coach who truly cares about his players, works hard, and is a good person. I would also like to be known for being a good father and husband. I believe the wins will be there if those things are taken care of.”
Since Conner joined the program as the head assistant coach nearly four years ago, the Cougars have seen a significant increase in their batting, averaging 7.8 runs per game and a batting average of .321. Each year, under Conner’s direction, a Cougar baseball player has earned NACC Position Player of the Year. In addition to numerous players being named to all-region, the program has had their hitting record broke multiple times. Joe Silva and Mitch Wilson both broke the record in 2018, while Bryan VanDuser broke the record again in 2019.
Conner notes that one of the best feelings as a coach was being able to coach his brother and give him a hug as he came off the mound in the last World Series. Seeing the guys and their families on senior day is also very notable for Conner, as the tears and thank you’s from parents really hit home.
