Homecourt

USI is not new to recently hired Head Baseball Coach Chris Ramirez, the University's sixth in its storied 54-year baseball program. He visited several years ago when he was the new Head Baseball Coach for the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) when they played against USI. "At that time, we were a startup program, and USI was the class of the conference, having just won a national championship," he said. "I remember thinking as the opposing coach, 'Man, this is a nice campus.' But I didn't realize until I got here how nice it really is. It's a very, very impressive campus. I'm amazed how much the student experience is emphasized at USI. Everywhere you go has been designed with the students in mind—with lounges, game areas, food courts. A lot of universities aren't that way."

In taking this position, Ramirez said he and his family—wife Lindsay, daughters Layla (13) and Mia (8) and son Stryker (7)—feel like they've come home, having grown up in southeast Iowa. "We are both from the Midwest and this feels like a move back to our home neighborhood."

Ramirez, who served as a Division I assistant coach for six seasons at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi before taking the top spots at UIS and Lenoir-Rhyne, led Lenoir-Rhyne University to their most successful five-seasons in program history with a 152-80 record, reaching the NCAA post-season in 2022.

His past originally brought Ramirez to USI, but all he can see now is the future. "Our plan is to win Ohio Valley Conference championships and compete in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament," he said.

New Assistant Coaches

Derek Beasley, Baseball - Formerly Western Carolina University

Julianna Cramer, Volleyball - Formerly Ball State University

Hailey Diestelkamp, Women's Basketball - Formerly Missouri State University

Alyx Koert, Swimming and Diving - Formerly Lenoir-Rhyne University

Brandon Krennrich, Baseball - Formerly Lenoir-Rhyne University

Alyssa Rivera, Softball - Formerly Hampton University

Alliyah Varga, Women's Soccer - Formerly University of Tennessee

What excited you about coming to USI?
I was extremely impressed with everyone throughout the interview process. Everyone was so nice and seemed very warm. I liked [Head Coach Eric Schoenstein's] vision for the program and his trust in allowing me to be involved with every aspect of the program. The facilities are beautiful here, and I love the greenery around campus.

Are you a morning person or night owl?
I don't mind getting up and starting my day with a workout or a nice little walk outside or having some time to enjoy coffee. But if pressed, I would say I am more of a nighttime person. I really enjoy looking at the stars late at night.

Do you have any pets?
I do not have any pets now, but I would really like a pet jumping spider. They are cute and can recognize their caretaker; sometimes they wave using one of their legs.

What drives you to get up every morning?
The ability to move in directions that challenge me. I don't think getting into a routine and doing the same thing every day is challenging. Comfort zones are nice places sometimes, but I do not think that allows a person to grow.

How do you spend your free time?
Recently, I have spent my free time watching birds and logging them into an app. I like to be outside walking trails, watering plants and listening to music. I also really like to paint but I haven't been able to do that for a while. A new hobby I have started is making bread.

Who is the most influential person in your life?
My dad, who was my college coach. He has been there every step of the way helping guide me to be who I am today. Throughout my soccer career, he always pushed me to be great and challenged me. He knew my potential and helped me achieve everything I wanted; not only from a player aspect but who I am as a person too. I could not have asked for a better dad.

How do you define success?
Success is different for everyone; not what others tell you success is. To me success is maximizing where I am and what I am doing. It is achieving goals that are set and obviously, being a soccer coach, one main goal is winning. I am a competitive person so winning will always be a part of my definition of success. But there will always be some games where you do not win, it is a part of life. How you grow from that loss is what matters the most.