A Changing of the Guards

Brian officially resigned from his position as Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach yesterday. This is an exciting change for Brian and for our family. I look forward to more weekends at home and a consistent time schedule and am happy for the girls who'll get to see their daddy more. But, I'm a little sad too, in a bitter-sweet way. Luther is a great place, and I hope that we are able to stay connected to the people who are so much a part of our lives because of it.


This is the press release from Luther following Brian's announcement...

Brian Huinker has resigned as men's and women's tennis coach at Luther College. Huinker has been the men's tennis coach for 10 years and took over the women's program five years ago. He has accepted a position as an employee benefits consultant for the Accel Group, a division of First Insurance Services. Huinker, his wife, Amanda, and their daughters, Olivia and Grace, will continue to reside in Decorah.

"It has been a great experience working at Luther the past ten years," stated Huinker. "I would like to thank the administration, faculty and staff for their support and help in recruiting quality student-athletes. I would also like to thank Paul Berland for his eight years of service volunteering his time to our tennis programs. Lastly, I would like to thank our alumni. Without their support, our programs would not have been able to return to the top of the Iowa Conference and national prominence."

During his tenure, Huinker returned the men's program to the top of the Iowa Conference, capturing the last four league championships. The Norse have also made four consecutive trips to the NCAA III National Tournament. Huinker has been named IIAC Coach of the Year four times and was the Central Region Coach of the Year in 2007. In 2009 and 2010, the Norse led the NCAA III in dual-meet victories, highlighted by a trip to the round of 16 in the 2009 National Tournament. The Norse are 9-4 at the midway point of the 2011 schedule, increasing Luther's 10-year record to 241-87.

The past two seasons, the women have won back-to-back IIAC titles and have also made two consecutive appearances in the National Tournament. The Norse will host the Iowa Conference four-team automatic qualifier on April 30th, with the winner advancing to the 2011 National Tournament. The Norse are currently 18-6, raising the women's dual-meet record to 118-44 during Huinker's tenure.

"On behalf of the Luther College community, I would like to thank Brian for 10 years of outstanding service," stated Thompson. "The men's and women's tennis teams have enjoyed tremendous success under Brian's leadership and have consistently been regarded as regional and national powerhouses. Although we hate to see Brian leave the college, we wish him the best as he embarks on a new career in the private sector."

A national search to replace Huinker will begin immediately.