After seven seasons leading the Northwestern College softball program, Chris Nachtigall submitted his resignation to become the athletic director at Hesston College (Kan.).
Nachtigall posted a 192-143 overall record in his seven years as head coach, leading the Red Raiders to three GPAC titles, winning the regular season championship in both 2012 and 2014 and claiming the postseason title last spring. He guided the Red Raiders to their first NAIA Championship appearance since 2002, going 1-2 in the Medford bracket and finishing one win shy of reaching the title game. Nachtigall went an impressive 89-51 in conference play, finishing third or better in five of his seven years and reaching the postseason tournament in all but one season.
Director of Athletics Earl Woudstra thanked Nachtigall for his service. “We wish Chris, Marena and their family the very best with this new opportunity at Hesston College. We are very grateful for the way Chris has served Northwestern College and our students in his role as head softball coach. He has successfully led a very competitive Red Raider softball program and provided many great experiences for members of our softball team for the past seven years.”
In addition to competitive play on the field, the Red Raider softball program has appeared on the list of NAIA Scholar-Teams released every summer. Over four years, Nachtigall’s squads produced 24 individual NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards.
