Newman University recently welcomed two new head coaches to its athletics programs: Dylan Gruntzel, women’s soccer, and Marisa Compton, volleyball.
Meet women’s soccer coach Dylan Gruntzel
A previous assistant coach for the women’s soccer team for four seasons, Gruntzel is excited to be back at Newman.
“I have always enjoyed the people on campus that I work with, and Wichita is home for me,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how all of our new players gel with our returning players to help grow our program on and off the field.”
Gruntzel, who got into coaching at the age of 19 because he wanted to impact young players, most recently spent two seasons as the head soccer coach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.
Previous coaching stops at Friends University, Wichita East High School and Maize South have allowed Gruntzel to keep a pulse on the soccer community in Wichita. Gruntzel achieved more than 100 wins in the high school ranks from 2012-19. He also spent time as the boys’ director of coaching and college advisory program director at Kansas Rush Wichita.
Gruntzel earned the Greater Wichita Athletic League Coach of the Year Award a combined three times and has seen a total of 75 of his players named to all-city teams.
The Wichita native is an alumnus of East High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Wichita State in 2009. He continues as a director of coaching for the Kansas Rush Wichita Soccer Club and as assistant coach for men’s soccer at Maize South High School. He holds his United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma, as well as the United Soccer Coaches Advanced National Goalkeeper Diploma. In 2022, Gruntzel also earned his master’s degree in soccer coaching from Ohio University.
“I’m excited to work with Newman University on and off the field to help make a stronger campus together,” he said.
Meet volleyball coach Marisa Compton
New women’s volleyball coach Compton replaces Jose Lugo, who took an assistant position at Temple University.
Compton was the head coach at Neosho County Community College the past two seasons, where she led the team to third- and fourth-place finishes in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.
Compton said she feels Newman’s team has a lot of potential and looks forward to helping rebuild the program. She hopes to provide with the team with discipline and structure, with hopes of bringing competitiveness as well, because she feels that’s what makes the sport fun.
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