Nate Houser named athletic director

Nate Houser has been named the athletic director and senior advisor to the president at Baker University. Houser will also serve as the head coach of the men’s soccer program in 2017-18, his 10th season in that role.

“Baker’s athletic programs have a long tradition of excellence and Nate Houser will help us achieve new heights,” said University President Lynne Murray. “The community is grateful for [former athletic director] Theresa Yetmar Grosbach’s leadership and we wish her the absolute best as she pursues this next chapter in her career.”

A 1994 Baker graduate, Houser has led the Wildcats to four consecutive NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship Tournaments. Houser has compiled a 225-118-26 overall record at Baker, including his 10 years at the helm of the men’s program and his tenure as head coach of the women’s soccer program from 2003 to 2014. Since 2003, both programs have produced numerous NAIA All-Americans and Heart of America Athletic Conference award winners and scholar-athletes. He accomplished this while also serving as the executive director of Metro United Soccer Club for the last nine years.

Before his coaching career—which includes several conference and regional coach of the year awards—Houser completed a 12-year professional soccer career in the United Soccer League and National Premier Soccer League. Still the all-time single-season record-holder for goals and all-time assists leader for the Wildcats, Houser was inducted into the Baker University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 for his achievements as a professional and collegiate athlete.

Houser replaces Yetmar Grosbach, also a Baker graduate who earned her undergraduate degree in 2002 and her MBA in 2006. During her tenure, which began January 2009, Baker has won several individual NAIA national titles in wrestling and track and field, sent the women’s basketball team and the football team to the NAIA championship title game, made several appearances in the conference national soccer semifinals, and won numerous Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships. Baker’s student-athletes also excelled in the classroom with numerous NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. Yetmar Grosbach also oversaw a variety of improvements to Baker’s athletic facilities.

Baker will host a campus reception honoring Yetmar Grosbach on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at the Alumni Center from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Tyler Price, assistant director of athletics at 785.594.8495.