WAVERLY, Iowa—Jared Pirkl, a 2004 Wartburg alum, has been named the 2017 John Kurtt Alumni Coach of the Year.

Pirkl has served as Wartburg's pitching coach for the baseball program since 2012. He has mentored two Iowa Conference pitchers of the year, eight pitchers that have earned First-team All-Conference honors, one Regional pitcher of the year and 10 All-Region honorees. The Knights have won six combined Iowa Conference Championships, and made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

"I am very humbled and honored to be recognized for this award," said Pirkl. "There are many great people on the list of recipients, and I was nominated by a former award winner in Corey Carlson, who continues to be a great mentor for me as a coach. Many of these winners have many great accomplishments including Coach Carlson, and I am grateful to be a small part of that community. As a coach, a responsibility is to serve others, and this award belongs to many other athletes and coaches I have been so fortunate to work with and learn from. Each of them is a part of an honor like this, thank you to each of them."
 
He also serves on the Waverly-Shell Rock high school staff as an assistant coach since 2013. The GoHawks won the 2015 State Championship, and were a semifinalist in 2014. Pirkl was named the 2015 Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

He spent one season at Mount Mercy as the pitching coach and previously served as the head baseball coach at Benton Community High School from 2006-10. The 2009 team were the WAMAC Conference champions, district champion, sub-state champions and advanced to the State Tournament quarterfinals.

When asked when he first knew when he wanted to be a coach, Pirkl said, "not really sure when, but from the beginning, my dad (Paul) was a great influence on my coaching career, and still is today. Although you may not see his name in record books, or lots of accolades, his leadership with the group of kids I grew up around in a variety of athletic experiences, I always knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to be a coach like him someday. My dad along with one of my closest friends, Bill Beran, who is no longer with us, coached us in so many sports, but their sacrifices, hard work, energy, and commitment to helping us become better young men is what I appreciate the most. I learned from the impacts they made on us, I wanted to share the same experience when given the opportunity to do so later in life.

"I have been fortunate to play for some great coaches in both high school and college and I would be remiss to not mention them - Kevin Smith, Dennis "Digger" Phelps, Reggie Dietz, Cory Landorf, Curt Larkin, Joel Holst, Brent Matthais, Bill Heckroth, Don Spore, Marty Sutherland, and Matt Thede were a few of my coaches throughout my playing days at HLV (Victor) and Wartburg," he continued. "I have also worked alongside some great people as well, who have helped me become a better father, husband, teacher, and coach - Jon Prottsman, Larry Carlson, Kal Goodchild, Ben Thomsen, Derek Anderson, Desi Druschel, Joel Holst, Corey Carlson, Casey Chaplin, Ryan Doty, Casey Klunder, Travis Angell, Dusty Rewerts, and Peter Broome. I am forever in debt to all of these people and I am sure I missed someone in mentioning, but they have helped shape my career, have challenged me to be a forward thinker and most importantly a better person."
 
When asked what he took from his time at Wartburg into his career, he said, "when I first got started coaching, I found myself getting caught up in the W's and L's of the season more than I should have, and lost focus on what our first responsibility is as a coach, and one of the many attributes they instill within you at Wartburg, servant leadership, by the professors and coaches modeling what that looked like, while providing the students opportunities to demonstrate that learning with others in the community around us. I have been blessed to work with some great kids, great families, and each of them has helped shape my career along the path to be a more servant person in the role I carry as a coach.
 
"I have found over time that the relationships built along the way have been what I cherish the most," he continued. "As a student-athlete on the baseball team, the wins and losses were important, but they were nothing compared to the relationships that I created with the teammates and friends I met along the way. As a coach of college and high school athletes now, I hope to instill the importance of this to each of them. Seeing those kids graduate, become successful in their career of choice, starting a family, getting letters or text messages from them along the way as they move on beyond the playing surface, are what makes coaching great kids so gratifying."
 
Pirkl was the first of all four siblings to attend Wartburg. "I didn't know at the time what impact it would have on myself personally, but all of my younger siblings (Adam 05', Laura 07', and Rachel '09) also made the choice to attend Wartburg College, and had great educational experiences and careers with the football, women's basketball, and volleyball programs. Having them experience what I did is something I am extremely proud of and thankful for."
 
Another one of his favorite memories during his undergrad is meeting his future wife. "I was fortunate enough to meet my wife Kelly (04') at Wartburg. She is my rock, the best coach I know, and is a blessing for our four children - Carter (9), Ben (7), Noah and William (4). As with many coaches' spouses they often throughout the year live a single-parent role playing shuttle service, meal provider, laundry cleaner, and homework checker, she keeps our ship afloat."
 
The John Kurtt Alumni Coach of the Year award has been given to a college alumni involved in coaching in either the high school or collegiate ranks each year since 1962. John Kurtt will present the award to Jared Pirkl prior to the first game of the doubleheader against Central on Saturday, April 28.

"I have never been personally introduced to John Kurtt, but have seen him be involved at Wartburg during my time on campus as a student-athlete, and seen him in attendance at many Wartburg events still today," said Pirkl. "I know that he is an avid follower of our baseball program on campus, and attends many of our home games at Hertel Field. I am well aware of the impact he has made on Wartburg's campus during his time, in the variety of roles he carried. Wartburg is forever in debt to the services he provided."

PAST RECIPIENTS
2017- Jared Pirkl 2016- Matt Entz 2015- Jerry Albert 2014- Patrick Hennes 2013- Renae Hartl 2012- Nick Mitchell 2011 - Bob Nielson 2010 - Corey Carlson 2009 - Marty Thomae 2008 - Rick Brooks 2007 - Kori Stoffregen 2006 - Doug Hall 2004-05 - Cindy Suess 2003 - Tom Lilly 2002 - Ross Grafft 2001 - Jack Denholm 2000 - Bob Mudd	1999- Dick Basham 1998 - Stu Fritz 1997 - Bob Bunting 1996 - Don Oleson 1995 - Bob Nielson 1994 - Larry Croghan 1993 - John Kurtt 1992 - Bret Hoyer 1991 - Dave Arns 1990 - Tom Manchester 1989 - Scott Brees 1988 - Mark Guthrie/Diane Paynter 1987 - Tom Schleicher 1986 - Gerald Heying 1985 - Larry Moklestad 1984 - Bill Nelson 1983 - Roger Buchholz 1982 - Bob Bye 1981 - Reece Morgan 1980 - Jim Arjes	1978 - Larry Strom/Jim Hotz/Steve Kohn 1977 - Larry Niemann 1976 - Virg Erickson 1975 - Roger Zehr 1974 - Waldo Platte 1973 - Merlyn Thorsen 1972 - Roger Kittleson 1971 - Jim Borcherding 1970 - Don Riggenberg 1969 - Chuck Nichol 1968 - Eldon Ott 1967 - Stan Kittleson 1966 - Paul Bruns 1965 - Roger Klingman 1964 - John Kurtt 1963 - Arnold Brandt 1962 - Maynard Mitgaard