FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
GREELEY, Colo. – Jon Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles sang the lyrics “Who says you can’t go back?” and Carl Iwasaki is putting the song to the test.
Iwasaki (pronounced Ee-wah-sah-key), who has spent the last six years as the head coach at Austin College, has been named Northern Colorado’s ninth baseball coach.
Director of Athletics Jay Hinrichs made the announcement of Iwasaki’s hiring on Wednesday morning.
His name should sound familiar in Northern Colorado baseball circles as Iwasaki donned the blue and gold from 1981-84, earning his degree in 1985.
“Coach has stressed the importance of merging our Great West Conference athletic goals with reuniting the baseball alumni,” said Hinrichs. “Facility upgrades, academic excellence and recruiting goals to stress the importance of keeping the State of Colorado high school baseball player at home to play for the Bears are also on the top of his list. These goals align well with what we established as priorities for this position.”
Iwasaki inherits a program that played in the inaugural Great West Conference Championship game and tallied a record of 34-24 and finished second in the regular season as well.
In 2006 and 2007, Iwasaki was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Coach of the Year and he recently completed a 19-21 season with the Kangaroos. His 2007 team advanced to the NCAA West Regional after winning the SCAC Tournament.
“I’m just thrilled to be able to come home and help build on the momentum that our Bears program has developed over the last five years,” Iwasaki said. “This program is my number one focus, to restore the pride and tradition of Bears baseball and that’s also what I’m looking forward to most.”
In 2003-04, Iwasaki was an assistant coach at Austin College before assuming the head coaching role in 2004. Prior to Austin College, he was an assistant coach at Saddleback Junior College in 2002-03. He also spent five years as an assistant coach with the Bakersfield Braves, a select baseball club and worked three years within the Hawai’i Winter Baseball League.
Iwasaki received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Northern Colorado in 1985.
