(KIWA Staff Photo)
Orange City, Iowa — Northwestern softball head coach Shane Bouman, the winningest coach in program history, has resigned after eight seasons to pursue new coaching opportunities.
Vice President for Athletics Tony Hoops says Bouman poured his heart into the program, elevating Raider softball on the field while empowering student-athletes to grow as leaders in their faith, relationships, and careers. Hoops says the department was blessed by Bouman’s contributions and appreciates that he leaves the program in a great place for the future.
Bouman held a .713 winning percentage while at Northwestern, winning 271 games and setting multiple program records. Under his leadership, the Raiders won three straight GPAC regular-season and tournament titles (2023-2025) and earned NAIA Opening Round berths in each of those seasons. The team set a program record with 50 wins in 2024, finishing 50-7. Bouman leaves with a 271-108-1 record at Northwestern and more than 500 career victories over two decades of collegiate coaching.
Bouman says he is grateful for his eight years at Northwestern and for the support of President Christy and athletic directors Earl Woudstra, Dr. Micah Parker, and Tony Hoops. He says the program accomplished milestones that have never been reached — including three consecutive GPAC titles, back-to-back NAIA regional finals, a 50-win season, and consistent national rankings — and credits the young women in the program for making those achievements possible. Bouman adds that Northwestern will remain a special place for his family, and they look forward to watching the program continue to grow.
During his tenure, Bouman coached five NAIA/NFCA All-Americans, seven NFCA All-Region selections, 38 All-GPAC honorees, and 47 NAIA Scholar-Athletes. He earned GPAC Coach of the Year honors in each of the last three seasons (2023-25) while coaching the 2023 GPAC Player of the Year Gwen Mikkelsen and the 2025 GPAC Pitcher of the Year Kate Kralik. Northwestern also reached No. 4 in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll on March 5, 2025 — the highest national ranking ever achieved by a GPAC softball program.
