Brad Warnimont enters his 10th season as the Head Coach at the University of Rio Grande. In his previous nine seasons, the RedStorm have averaged 31 wins a season playing a very competitive schedule. In Warnimont's 21 year college coaching career, he has totaled 543 victories. In 2010, Warnimont guided the RedStorm to their first conference championship since 1978 and first appearance in the National Tournament.

 

Warnimont attributes that success to the aggressive style of play and putting constant pressure on the defense by stealing bases. The University of Rio Grande has led the region in stolen bases eight of Warnimont's nine years, including leading the NAIA in 2010. The RedStorm are among the nation's best in NAIA baseball in stealing bases.

 

Aggressive is exactly the way to describe Warnimont's approach and past history. In his previous coaching positions at Ashland University and Salem International, Warnimont's teams rewrote the team and individual school record books. In 1995, he guided Ashland to the Division II College World Series in Montgomery, Alabama. Warnimont accomplished that feat in just five short years at Ashland. 

 

Warnimont's teams have earned the reputation as being aggressive running teams that apply constant pressure on the opposition. In 1999, Warnimont's Salem International team led all collegiate divisions in stolen bases with an average of 3.92 per game.

 

Warnimont is highly respected on the regional and national level. He has served on numerous national committees, including the Regional Selection Committee and the All-American Committee for the North Atlantic Region and the North Central Region.

 

Before coming to Rio, he guided Salem to a tournament appearance in 1998. Warnimont spent seven years at Ashland where he totaled 167 wins including a conference championship, a regional championship, and a trip to the Division II World Series. Prior to Ashland, Warnimont began his head-coaching career at Bethany College where he led the Bison to a share of the conference championship in 1989. Warnimont also served as an assistant at Ohio State where he worked as a graduate assistant, Capital University, and Cornell University. While at Cornell, Warnimont worked with Hall of Fame Coach, Ted Thoren, now retired. Warnimont also coached with Thoren in 1996 as the two coached the Austrian National Team in the "B" Pool tournament in Hull, England where the country had its best finish ever; that being fourth.

 

Warnimont earned a Bachelor's Degree in Health and Physical Education in 1986 from Ohio Wesleyan University where he was All-Conference in both football and baseball and earned seven letters. In baseball, Warnimont still holds records for most homeruns in a game (3) and most runs scored in a game (6). He and his wife, Sue, reside in Rio Grande with their two sons, Caleb and Tyler.

 

BRAD WARNIMONT'S COACHING RECORD

 

                                                                                       W-L-T                        WINNING %

1 Year                      Bethany College                        10-26-2                                 .493

7 Years                    Ashland University                167-132-4                                 .552

4 Years                    Salem International                86-106-2                                 .438

9 Years                    University of Rio Grande      280-208-1                                .572

                                                                Total           543-490-7                                .522

 

John Combs enters his third season on the RedStorm coaching staff.  He is very familiar with the program, having played for Coach Warnimont and the Redmen for four years from 2003 - 2006.  During his time with the Redmen, Combs played the outfield and earned the NAIA Champions of Character Award.         

Ryan Yakura enters his first season on the RedStorm coaching staff. However, Ryan is no stranger to the program, having played shortstop and centerfield for the RedStorm from 2008-2010. Yakura was honorable mention All-American Mideast Conference in 2008, 2^nd team All-American Mideast Conference in 2009, and honorable mention All-Mid South Conference in 2010.   

Ryan finished his career holding the single season record for games played (61) as well as most at-bats in a single game (7) at Rio Grande. 

He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management and is currently pursuing his MBA. He is a Pickering, Ontario, Canada native and currently resides in Rio Grande