Cornell College Women's Softball

Accomplished Mount Vernon High School coach Robin Brand was announced as Cornell's head softball coach on June 16, 2025.   Brand has guided Mount Vernon to seven trips to the Iowa State Tournament and a 390-166 record through 14 seasons as head softball coach. The Mustangs claimed the Class 3A state championship in 2022 and finished runner-up in 2021. Brand was named 3A Coach of the Year both seasons.   “We are thrilled to have Robin join our team at Cornell and very excited about the future of our softball program under her leadership,” Director of Athletics Jeff Meeker said. “Robin has a passion for coaching and developing young people. She’s excited about the challenge of building a championship program. Her community ties and softball connections will be key components in this process.”   Brand was tabbed the 2022 Iowa All-Class Coach of the Year during Mount Vernon’s 36-4 state title run. The Mustangs qualified for state seven times during an impressive eight-year stretch from 2015-22.   The hometown hire now looks to elevate Cornell’s program in her first collegiate coaching role.   “I’m very excited for the opportunity and challenge ahead of me. This seemed like the right time,” Brand said. “I know the Cornell community and coaches very well and look forward to maintaining and creating positive relationships. I think how we can make things even stronger and better.   “I love Division III athletics. My four children, my husband and I, we’ve all been a part of it. This is an opportunity to be part of a special experience at Cornell.”     Brand’s Mount Vernon teams have reached 25 wins in each of the past 12 full seasons. The Mustangs are 185-71 in the WaMaC Conference since Brand took over in 2012.    Mount Vernon’s softball program has produced 33 all-state players under Brand’s guidance. Eighteen of her players have gone on to play collegiate softball.   “I’m excited to take on a Division III team that will strive for daily excellence in the classroom and on the field,” Brand said. “We’re going to build stronger leaders, motivated, competitive and successful people. We want to change the trajectory of our program and student-athletes. We’d love to see our softball program compete for championships.”   Brand recently completed her 15th year as an educator in the Mount Vernon Community School District. She plans to continue to coach softball at Mount Vernon.   Brand was a feature speaker at the 2024 Iowa Girls Coaches Association Clinic and coached in the 2018 Iowa Senior All-Star games. She was recipient of the 2017 Ed Thomas Award for High Character.   Brand has been an assistant on Mount Vernon’s volleyball staff since 2010, helping the program to 13 state tournament berths, six championship appearances and three titles (2024, 2019 and 2010).   Brand played softball at Central College, where she graduated in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She was head softball coach at Guthrie Center High School from 1998-2000, and head volleyball coach there from 2005-08.

Jerry Monner, the 2025 Midwest Conference Indoor Coach of the Year, was hired in July 2022 as head coach of Cornell's men's and women's track & field programs. Since Monner's arrival on the Hilltop, the Rams have produced 39 Midwest Conference champions, four MWC Performers of the Year, one Drake Relays champion, 20 all-region performers, 13 NCAA qualifiers and eight All-Americans. Collectively, the men's and women's teams have established 33 school records since 2023.  Monner guided Cornell's men to the 2025 MWC indoor team title, marking the program's first such championship since 1989. The men's team placed third at 2025 MWC outdoors and 2024 MWC indoors.   On the women's side, Monner coached the Rams to a runner-up finish at 2023 MWC outdoors with 137 points, the program's largest point total since 1982. Cornell placed third at 2023 MWC indoors.     The Andrew, Iowa, native built Grand View University's cross country and track & field programs into an NAIA power from 2004-22. He claimed 31 Conference Coach of the Year awards with the Vikings and was tabbed 2022 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year for men’s indoor track & field.    Monner reunited with Cornell’s head cross country and assistant track & field coach Jerry Frawley, who served as a graduate assistant under Monner for two seasons (2017-19) at Grand View.   Over 18 seasons, Grand View’s cross country and track & field teams compiled 405 NAIA individual national qualifiers, 92 all-Americans and 15 national champions under Monner’s direction. The Vikings also excelled in the classroom, earning 137 NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards.   Monner’s teams placed in the Top 25 at the national championships 25 times. Three of his cross country teams qualified for the NAIA Championships. Monner captured 33 conference team titles, four of them achieved in 2021-22 with men’s cross country, men’s indoor and outdoor track & field and women’s outdoor track & field.   In Fall 2021, Grand View’s men’s cross country team placed 18th at nationals and the Vikings fielded two NAIA qualifiers on the women’s side. Monner’s 2022 track & field teams accumulated 12 all-America awards, headlined by the national champion in the men’s outdoor 1500.   Monner’s recruiting efforts produced large rosters for all of his teams at Grand View. The Vikings fielded 85-100 total student-athletes in cross country and track & field for several years.     Monner graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and physical education. He obtained his master’s in athletic administration from Loras in 2002.   Monner was head track & field coach and head women’s cross country coach at University of Minnesota-Morris from 2002-04. He guided the women’s program to its first-ever conference title in track & field in 2004. Monner was assistant track & field coach at Loras (2000-02) and Iowa Wesleyan (1999-2000).   Monner served on the executive committee of the NAIA Track & Field Coaches Association from 2011-19, including president for two years. He was previous cross country and track & field sport chair in the Heart of America Athletic Conference and Midwest Collegiate Conference.