MISHAWAKA – Bethel College Athletic Director Tom Visker announced Friday that Eric Gingerich has been appointed as the 11th head coach of the Bethel women’s basketball program. Coach Gingerich and his wife, Kat, will take the reins of the program heading into its 41st season of competition.

The Gingerich duo are no strangers to the highly-competitive Crossroads League as both Eric and Kat (Spitler) are graduates of Indiana Wesleyan University. A four-year letter winner as part of the Wildcat track and field team, Gingerich spent a considerable amount of time connected to the IWU women’s basketball program as a practice player while learning about the inner workings of a championship program. Upon graduation from IWU, Gingerich took the role of graduate resident director at Huntington University, during which he spent time volunteering with the Huntington women’s basketball program by organizing a male practice squad and working on player development in individual workouts.

After obtaining his master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Development from Taylor, Gingerich and his wife took a position as resident directors at John Brown University. During their time in Arkansas, he returned to the sidelines as an assistant for the women’s basketball program before coming back to Indiana. Gingerich, a Wawasee High School graduate, took the reins of the Bethany Christian boys’ basketball program last season in his first head coaching role with his brother, Scott.

In addition, Gingerich also brings a wide array of experience on the court as he has served as a camp coach at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Illinois, and Indiana Wesleyan University, as an intercollegiate athletics intern at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and as a staff member with S.C.O.R.E International both in the states and internationally.

“My family and I are thrilled to become a part of the Bethel family!” said Eric Gingerich. “We have developed a deep respect for Bethel in the way they conduct themselves and are successful on and off the court.  We look forward to joining this community and continuing a legacy of developing young women spiritually, intellectually, professionally and athletically.  We want our program to be filled with players who serve each other well and love to fight for each other on and off the court. Kat and I are excited about holding a common mission together to mentor and develop young women.”

Another pivotal piece to the new coaching staff is Kat. The 2007 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan was a four-year starter for the Wildcats from 2003-2007. During her years donning the No. 1 red, white and gray jersey, IWU compiled a record of 128-18 that included three MCC (now Crossroads League) titles and four consecutive trips to the NAIA National Tournament. In her final season on the floor, the Wildcats produced the nation’s first 38-0 perfect season and the first women’s basketball NAIA DII national title in the history of the MCC. After her playing career came to a close, Kat spent four seasons on the bench as an assistant coach for her alma mater. During that four-year stretch, IWU compiled a 110-29 overall record and won two more conference regular-season titles.

“Eric is a great fit for what we are trying to do through our athletic program,” noted Dr. Visker.  “He is a competitor who wants the Lady Pilots to compete at a very high level in our league. He knows that the best way for that to happen is through hard work on the court and building great relationships within the team. Eric and Kat are eager to invest in the athletic, spiritual, academic, and leadership development of the players in our women’s basketball program.”