Coach Casey Klunder led Waverly-Shell Rock High School to its fourth state tournament berth this summer. Central athletics photo

PELLA—After a highly successful 16-year run at Waverly-Shell Rock High School, Casey Klunder stands ready to infuse new energy into the Central College baseball program as head coach.
           
Dutch athletics director Eric Van Kley made the announcement Tuesday. Klunder replaces Matt Schirm, who resigned in late June after seven seasons.
           
Klunder is coming off Waverly-Shell Rock's fourth state tournament berth of his tenure last week. He piloted the Go-Hawks to the 2015 Iowa Class 3A state title and has compiled a 386-185 career record. He was tabbed as the 2015 Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association State Coach of the Year while receiving State Sports Spotlight Coach of the Year honors in 2014 and 2015. Klunder's squads captured eight Northeast Iowa Conference titles and were in the IHSBCA rankings 14 consecutive seasons. He was an IHSBCA all-star coach in 2010 and 2016. He's coached 44 players who competed collegiately, including several in the American Rivers Conference.

Klunder also gained collegiate experience as a volunteer assistant coach at Luther College from 2012-14 and at Wartburg College this past season as well as 2007-08.
           
"Casey has extensive head coaching experience, a track record of consistent success on the field and is tremendously organized," Van Kley said. "But the thing that stands out about him is his ability to build relationships and the value he places on connecting with his players as well as helping them develop on and off the field."
           
The opportunity to spend more time investing in his student-athletes drew Klunder to Central.
           
"I'm really excited about the impact I can make coaching at the college level," he said. "The relationships can be so much more meaningful at that level. I'm really excited to dive into that and get to know the current players and the recruits. That starts today."
           
Klunder's message to them is clear.
           
"We're going to value their experience over all else," he said. "We're going to create habits, both on and off the field, that allow us to compete for championships.
           
"We're going to create a championship culture that prioritizes hard work, character and attention to detail. And if we do those things, we should see the results on the field."
           
However, having invested in those relationships for 16 years at Waverly-Shell Rock makes leaving hard.
           
"I'd like to thank Waverly-Shell Rock for believing in me as a 20-year-old kid when I got the head baseball job," Klunder said. "It's a wonderful place to teach and coach and I will only look back fondly on our time there."
           
An Allison, Iowa native, Klunder graduated from Allison-Bristow High School before earning a bachelor's degree at Waldorf College in 2007, with an additional instructional endorsement from Upper Iowa University. Since 2008 he's served as a special education teacher.
           
While at Waldorf Klunder served as a baseball team captain. He received the Midwest Classic Conference Champion of Character Award and was a .320 hitter over four seasons.
           
He's active in the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association. His familiarity with the state's top players and connections with coaches in the region will give Klunder a head start on building his recruiting resume, Van Kley said.
           
"Recruiting is a relationships business and that's where Casey excels," Van Kley said. "Central College has a championship tradition and we believe in the potential of our baseball program."
           
The Dutch are coming off a 14-27 season in a pandemic-altered campaign but were 24-16 in 2019 and captured the 2012 conference championship. The college recently completed an $18-million renovation and addition to P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium.
           
"I'd like to thank Coach Van Kley and the search committee for this opportunity," Klunder said. "Pella is a wonderful community."
           
Klunder will be joined by his wife, Kayla, and 3-year-old son Kyler.
           
"I'd like to thank my family for being so supportive of this move," he said. "We're looking forward to living in Pella."