Indian Hills Community College (Ottumwa) Men's Soccer

Head coach Zac Newton is set to kick off his second season at the helm of the Indian Hills Men's Soccer squad in 2025. Newton was tapped to lead the Warriors on July 15, 2024. Newton made history in his inaugural campaign with the Warriors, leading the program to national prominence in just four months. On the heels of the program's second national touranment berth in 2023, Newton spearheaded the program to its first-ever national semifinal round in Wichita, KS in November. The seventh-seeded Warriors went 2-0-0 in Pool Play to advance to the final four for the first time in school history. For their efforts, Newton and his staff were recognized as the United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region Staff of the Year. In addition to the Warriors' national tournament success, the program saw a number of program firsts throughout the seaosn, including the first-ever No. 1 national ranking in the NJCAA polls. The Warriors, who were ranked inside the top-10 of the national polls throughout the duration of the season, held on to the No. 1 rank for five consecutive weeks. The Warriors earned a pair of NJCAA and United Soccer Coaches All-American honors in Daniel Mulero and Lucas Bauer. The program saw three United Soccer Coaches All-Region performers with Mulero, Bauer, and freshman Diego Lazaro in addition to four NJCAA All-Region 11 honors. Indian Hills saw 13 ICCAC DI Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week honors throughout the 2024 campaign. In the classroom, the Warriors were named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year for maintaining a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 throughouthe the academic year while 12 individuals were named to the 2024-25 NJCAA All-Academic team. Between the fall and spring terms, the Warriors saw 63 individuals earn ICCAC Academic All-Region honors. Sophomore Jeremie Truel was tapped as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection. Following the conclusion of the year, 11 individuals committed to sign on with four-year universities. Newton brings a wealth of coaching experience to the program. A familiar name in the ICCAC, Newton led Southeastern Community College to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DII Men’s Soccer National Championship in 2021. Newton was tapped to start both the men’s and women’s programs in 2018 before turning the Blackhawks into a perennial national power in just three seasons. For his efforts at Southeastern, Newton was named the NJCAA DII Tournament Coach of the Year, the NJCAA DII Plains District Coach of the Year, and the NJCAA Region 11 Coach of the Year. Newton and his staff were also named the United Soccer Coaches NJCAA Mid-East Region Staff of the Year. Following his time at Southeastern, Newton joined Graceland University as the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s programs before being promoted to Associate Head Coach of the men’s team. While at Graceland, Newton also served as recruiting coordinator for both the men’s and women’s programs among a multitude of additional duties and responsibilities. For the past year, Newton has served as the head coach at Vision Soccer Academy in Waukee, IA as well as the Head of Recruitment for the USTARS group. Newton, who holds a USSF C License, obtained a bachelor of science degree in Sport Management from Niagara University (NY) where he completed his collegiate playing career for the Purple Eagles. Newton also competed for one season at Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ) following two years at Peninsula College (WA). The Indian Hills Men’s Soccer program is coming off its second trip to the NJCAA National Tournament in program history and have captured back-to-back NJCAA Region 11 Championships.

Indian Hills Men's Soccer Head Coach Zac Newton has announced the addition of Garret Wenrich as the program's assistant coach. Wenrich began his duties with the Warriors on July 14. Wenrich joins the Warriors after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the California State University Chico Men's Soccer program, a member of the NCAA DII California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Wenrich helped guide the Wildcats to a top-20 national ranking while winning 72.4 percent of its matches. Chico State advanced to the second round of the 2023 NCAA DII National Tournament. "We are excited to welcome Garret Wenrich to our coaching staff for the upcoming season," stated Newton. "Garret came highly recommended and did a fantastic job as a graduate assistant in his time with Chico State. His sports psychology background will be of great benefit and he's already hit the ground running. He's committed to our goal of competing for a national title for next fall and we are excited to get to work with Garret on our team." During his tenure with the Wildcats, Wenrich oversaw scouting and game preparation, utilizing film analysis to create opponent reports. Wenrich also worked directly with coach and player development, assisting with practice flow and training sessions. Wenrich worked extensively with the program's backline, midfielders, and defenders. Wenrich was also nstrumental in the program's recruiting processes, including assisting with ID camps and on-campus recruiting visits. Over the past two seasons under Wenrich's guidance, the Wildcats earned a pair of United Soccer Coaches All-Americans to go along with nine all-conference players, the two-time CCAA Goalkeeper of the Year, and one Major League Soccer (MLS) combine participant. Academically, the team was honored with the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award. "I'm incredibly grateful to Coach Zac Newton for the opportunity to join the Indian Hills Men's Soccer staff," stated Wenrich. "It's an honor to be part of a program with such a strong tradition of excellence, both on and off the field. I'm excited to get started, to learn and grow alongside a talented group of coaches and student-athletes, and to contribute to the continued success of the program. My goal is to help build on the strong foundation that's already in place and support the team's pursuit of even greater achievements in the seasons ahead." Wenrich previously served as the head assistant coach with the Pleasant Valley High School Boy's Varsity Soccer program in Chico, CA. The program captured the 2023-24 Northern Section Championship and were two-time NorCal State semifinalists. While at Chico State, Wenrich also served as an instructor in the Kinesiology department over the past two academic years. Wenrich's previous collegiate playing experience includes a stint with the NCAA DI Montana State University Club program. Wenrich received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Oregon and a Master of Arts in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology, and Coaching from Chico State.