The Eureka College athletic department has brought in lots of new coaches. Some of these changes happened earlier in the summer, giving those coaches more opportunity to create a reputation and allow them to meet each of their players, while others were brought in very shortly before the 26-27 school year kicked off, making them extremely new to the college’s atmosphere.
As the fall sports season gets started, the college has publicly announced the addition of 6 new head coaches, a new athletic trainer, and has notified students that they are actively searching for a new strength and conditioning coach. How will these new additions bring a new legacy to Eureka College?
With the staff additions also came a new cheer and dance program coached by Jerrica Grant, and a new women’s flag football coach, Omar Truitt, who will be the first to run a competitive season at Eureka College.
Three words to describe Grant as a coach are “Intentional, Caring, and Charismatic,” Grant states via email. Grant is also motivated by growth: “There’s something rewarding about seeing potential and helping turn it into something even greater.”
Grant wasn’t sure what her next career steps would be, but she saw an opportunity at Eureka. Grant states, “I often say that I didn’t choose Eureka; Eureka chose me.”
Upon Grant’s arrival, something sparked in her as she navigated the campus for the first time. “I realized that Eureka wasn’t in the middle of nowhere, but it was the center of everything,” explained Grant.
For cheer and dance, this year is just building the foundation. Grant is working diligently to recruit and expand the opportunities for future Eureka College students. Grant concludes by stating, “We’re continuing to build both programs, and our rosters are still open to current Eureka students with experience in cheer or dance.”
Men’s and Women’s volleyball teams are both facing coaching changes entering their 26-27 season. Jennifer Bartlett and Ryan Myers are additions to the Eureka College coaching staff, both coming in with knowledge and experience on the court.
Myers assisted in coaching the men’s team in their last season. He joined the coaching staff with little expectations for a program in its intro year. Myers explained via email, “I didn’t know what to expect … but I was incredibly excited to help grow the team and grow the culture of athletics on campus.”
The standards were set last year with a very successful season, creating huge goals for this year. The most important one is being better than the year before, which included many victories in major tournaments, including conference champions.
“They want to win as much, if not more, than I do. I look forward to matching their hunger to compete and succeed as the season progresses,” Myers exclaimed. In order to obtain that level of success throughout this year, Myers has to strive to help the athletes in every aspect of being a student-athlete.
Myers states, “Optimistic, attentive, and competitive” as three words to describe him as a coach. He further explains, “I enjoy taking time to know the guys as people and as athletes to learn how to motivate them and communicate with them effectually during training or in a game.”
Bartlett started coaching at Eureka College in August 2026. She was immediately impressed by the welcoming of the students and staff. “I could immediately see that people genuinely care about the students and the success of Eureka College,” Bartlett states via email.
Creating a championship culture at the college is Bartlett’s ultimate goal for the current season. Seeing and implementing improvement daily, and creating a team atmosphere that is difficult to compete against, is where it all starts.
Coming into the season with recruits who committed to a former coach can be a struggle, but to Bartlett, it is a challenge worth facing head-on. “It’s always going to create some uncertainty with the new recruits and their families. But adversity is a part of life, and I hope to help them through having a new coach.”
“This season is the beginning of something new for these young athletes, and my goal is to establish a strong foundation,” explained Bartlett. Creating a winning tradition, attracting talented recruits, and creating consistency is how Bartlett plans to help each individual athlete achieve their goals.
Currently in season is Women’s Soccer, which is being coached by Eureka alum Robert Bucio. Right now, their record for this season is 1-1, with players like Jazlinn Diaz-Avalos achieving SLIAC player of the week.
Bucio states via email that “Competitive, passionate, and supportive” are three words that best describe him as a coach. As a former Eureka College student-athlete and a former assistant coach, the connection to the college is like no other.
Coach Bucio sets high standards for his athletes by supporting the entire team, treating everyone equally, and creating an atmosphere where each individual uplifts one another. He also does frequent mental health check-ins with the athletes to ensure they can be successful on the field and in the classroom.
“I am creating a foundation where the Eureka Women’s soccer program thrives and will be something special many athletes would love to be a part of,” concludes Bucio. He wants to ensure that the support system will produce hard-working, resilient athletes with high dedication.
Softball will be swinging into spring with a new head coach, Ellie Manderfeld. Manderfeld comes to Eureka with a great deal of experience and plans to create a competitive culture that represents the college with pride.
In 2020, Manderfeld was an NCAA Women of the Year nominee, giving the female athletes of Eureka something to work toward and gain knowledge on how to obtain. Coach Manderfeld explains how she is very grateful for the opportunity to lead and build the softball program.
As new names enroll at the college and new coaches take on different positions, the academic year of 26-27 comes with foundational changes that will benefit the college for future years to come.
