Football Coaching Staff
Head Coach Mike Grossner
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , entering his eighth season as head football coach at Baker University, has the Wildcat program headed in the right direction.
With four consecutive winning seasons as a 22-11 (22-8 HAAC) record in the past three years, including an NAIA playoff appearance in 2008, the Wildcats are prepared to challenge for a conference championship.
The No. 23 Wildcats open the season in the Victory Sports First Down Classic against No. 10 Ottawa at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at Liston Stadium. The Wildcats will face three other teams ranked in the preseason Top 25.
Since taking over the program in 2004, Grossner has coached four NAIA first-team All-America selections, two Heart of America Athletic Conference Player of the Year and 32 NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
Notable school records set by individual Wildcats under Grossner include points scored by a player for a season (168) and career (306), touchdowns for a season (28), passing yards for a game (433), passing yards for a season (3,185), passing yards for a career (8,278), longest field goal (62 yards), field goals in a game (5) and season (23).
Before coming to Baker, Grossner served from 2001 to 2003 as an assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and academic adviser at Western State College in Gunnison, Colo. From 1997 to 2000, he was the head coach at Glendale (Ariz.) Community College, guiding the Gauchos to the 2000 national championship and earning Coach of the Year honors from the
American Football Coaches Association. He was the offensive coordinator from 1990 to 1995 at Glendale before taking over as head coach. Grossner was the head coach at Agua Fria High School
in Avondale, Ariz., from 1996 to 1997 and was named Arizona’s Class 4A State Coach of the Year in 1996.
A quarterback at Bethany College, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College and Northern Arizona, Grossner played professionally in NFL Europe, where he was a quarterback and offensive coordinator in Nottingham, England, and Ravenna, Italy, from 1990 to 1993, guiding both teams to the national semifinals.
Grossner and his wife, Karen, live in Baldwin City with their three children, Emma, 14, Jake, 10, and Ryker, 6.
Offensive Staff
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Offensive Coordinator, Strength Coach
Regalado enters his fourth season at Baker University after five years at Urbana University in Ohio where he served four years as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. During his tenure at Baker, Regalado's offensive line has cleared the way for the leading rusher in the HAAC two straight years (Bryant 08/09), as well as two first-team HAAC offensive linemen (Bibb 08, Benge 09). He also helped lead the Wildcats to their first national playoff appearance since 1993 and two final poll ratings of #12 in 2008 and #23 in 2009 and 2010.
While at Urbana, Regalado also served one year as defensive line coach and defensive coordinator. During Regalado’s five years at Urbana, the football team experienced its first two winning seasons since 1985. Regalado’s offensive line at Urbana paved the way for the first 1000 yard rusher in the history of the school. In 2007, Regalado coached All-American defensive end Shawn Lewis, who went on to become the number one Super Six Defensive Lineman in the country in 2008. Before coaching at Urbana, Regalado served as a graduate assistant at the University of South Dakota for two years.
Regalado played football at Glendale Community College in Arizona (1996-1997) where he was coached by Baker Head Coach Mike Grossner. From 1998 to 2000, Regalado played football at the University of South Dakota, where he earned a master’s degree in athletic administration.
Defensive Staff
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Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, Secondary Coach 
Thoren enters his eighth season at Baker and his seventh season overseeing the defense. Under his direction the Wildcat defense was among the top thee units in the Heart of America Athletic Conference last season. Fresh off its first playoff appearance in 15 years, Thoren led the defense to finish second in the nation in turnover margin (33 total turnovers, 19 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries). In his time at BU, Thoren has coached seven All-HAAC players and two All-Americans. Before coming to Baldwin City he spent three years as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line and tight ends at NCAA Division I University of Minnesota. The Lawrence High product was a starting linebacker for the Kansas Jayhawks from 1994 to 1997 where he was an All-Big 8 and All-Big 12 selection. Thoren currently sits at 10th on the Jayhawks All-Time Career Tackles list with 306. Thoren also played in NFL Europe and the Arena Football League. During his high school playing career, Thoren was named the outstanding high school player in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
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Defensive Line
Aligo is in his eighth consecutive season at Baker, but his history as a Baker coach dates to the Charlie Richard era. Aligo coached at Baker from 1988 to 1991 before serving as head coach for 15 years at McLouth High School and an assistant at Baldwin High for two years. He rejoined the Baker staff in 2002 and is a teacher at McLouth High School. The New Jersey native was an All-Conference and All-District 10 performer at defensive tackle for McPherson College in 1977. Aligo's experience and knowledge of the game makes him a great asset to the Wildcat staff. He and his wife, Linn, have two adult children, Scott and Tony.
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Running Backs Coach
Bruce Young enters his second season with the Wildcats. Prior to Baker, Young served as the head football coach at Avila University for five seasons. During his tenure at Avila, Young graduated 50 of 52 seniors, raised the team GPA and coached 10 NAIA Scholar-Athletes. A member of the Missouri High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame, Young enjoyed success at Norborne, Marceline and Ray-Pec high schools. Young was an assistant coach at Baker University for five seasons before taking over the Avila program.
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Quarterback/Wide Receivers Coach
Coach Bradley enters his third season coaching the Wildcats, and second season as the wide receivers coach. Bradley was a quarterback for the Wildcats from 2004-2008 and was a part of the 2008 squad that finished 12th nationally. Coach Bradley also serves as the video coordinator and head JV coach.
