Newman University Women's Soccer

Dylan Gruntzel is entering into his fourth season in 2025 as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach. Under Gruntzel in 2024, Maylani Birckbichler and Delphine Sosu earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention. Five Jets earned CSC All-District Honors.  Gruntzel and the Jets finished the 2023 season with a 2-15-1 season. Mylani Birckbichler earned All-MIAA honors being selected on the honorable mention list. In his first season, he led the Jets to a 1-15-2 campaign. Under Gruntzel, Maria Stephens was named to the All-MIAA Second Team and Maylani Birckbichler was named to the Honorable Mention All-MIAA team.  Coach Gruntzel most recently spent two seasons as the Head Coach at Bethany College. Gruntzel was previously an Assistant Coach at Newman for 4 seasons. In Gruntzel’s first season as an assitant with Newman, the team went 7-6-5 to secure its first winning season since 2010, and saw four players earn All-Heartland Conference honors. The 2017 season saw the Jets put together their best season in their Division II era, going 11-6-2 overall and 8-4-2 in conference play, program records for wins in each. They reached the conference postseason for the first time since 2013, and had seven players named to the All-Heartland Conference team, including Defensive Player of the Year Amy Strath. In 2018, the Jets captured their best season in their Division II era, going 12-4-3 overall, while setting a Heartland Conference program record of 8-3-3. The team secured their second consecutive appearance in the Heartland Conference Tournament for the first time in program history. The Jets led the way landing seven individuals on the All-Heartland Conference team. Senior forward, Grace Linton captured the Heartland Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He brings experience from both the high school and collegiate coaching ranks after spending last season with the Friends University women and men and the previous 10 on the coaching staff at Wichita East High School. Gruntzel coached the Friends women’s goalkeepers, and assisted with the men’s second side. At East, Gruntzel began as an assistant coach in 2006, and was elevated to head coach of both the boys’ and girls’ programs in May 2011. He led the Blue Ace boys to a pair of regional titles and their first state tournament appearance in school history in 2014. In 2017, he led the Blue Ace girls to a regional title and their first trip to the state semifinals since 2006, and the team repeated as regional champs in 2018. His overall high school coaching record is 122-71-9. He earned the Greater Wichita Athletic League Coach of the Year a combined three times, and has seen a total of 75 of his players named to all-city teams. The Wichita native is an alumnus of East High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Wichita State in 2009. He continues as coach for the Kansas Rush Wichita club. He holds his United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma as well as the United Soccer Coaches Advanced National Goalkeeper Dipolma. In 2022 Gruntzel earned his masters in Soccer Coaching from Ohio University.

Fred Koepp will enter his first season in 2025.  Koepp joins the Jets after his most recent stint at Friends University. Koepp served as an assistant men's soccer coach for the Falcons for three years. He currently serves as the Head Mental Performance Coach at Athletic Advisor LLC and the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Wichita East High School.  Koepp served eight years as the Men's soccer coach at East and is will enter his sixth season with the Women in spring of 2026. While at Wichita East, Koepp has a record of 134-75-3. Koepp has led Wichita East to three GWAL Championships, six Regional Championships appearances, three Regional Championships, and one State Semifinal appearance. Koepp has been recognized twice as GWAL Coach of the Year and was a recipient of the United Soccer Coaches Ethics Award in 2019.  Koepp earned his undergraduate degree from Friends University with a B.S. in Marketing and Business Administration. He then earned his M.S. in Applied Sport Psychology at Adams State University. Koepp is also a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC).   Koepp's playing career started at Odessa High School. After high school, he attended Friends University. After Friends, he spent time with FC Dallas Super 20 (USL Super-20), Houston Dutch Lions FC (USL-PDL), FC Wichita (NPSL), Wichita Selection (PASL), and West Texas Rumbleweeds (USPASL). Fred currently resides in Wichita with his wife Emma and two dogs Everest and Lady.