NKU Head Coach
TODD ASALON Todd Asalon is entering his 14th season as the baseball head coach at Northern Kentucky University. Asalon owns a 442-319-1 record in 13 years as the Norse head coach and led NKU to the NCAA Division II Tournament eight times. During his tenure, 10 players, including nine pitchers, have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Dave Middendorf (22nd round, Royals) was selected in the 2011 MLB Draft. Middendorf was named to the first-team All-American honors by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association last season for the Norse, while also capturing Pitcher of the Year honors for both the Great Lakes Valley Conference and Midwest Region. Last season, NKU finished its final season competing at the NCAA Division II level 36-22 overall and 25-11 in the GLVC. The 2012 season saw the Norse win 16 games in a row between March 18 and April 7. NKU ended the season in second place in the GLVC East division and advanced to the second round of the Midwest Regional Tournament. In 2011, NKU advanced once again to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament after finishing the season with a 36-21 record under Asalon’s direction. The 21-13 conference record landed the team in second place in the GLVC East division. Three years ago, Asalon returned to the NCAA Tournament on the heels of a 43-17 season and topped the GLVC East division for the second consecutive season with a 24-6 league record. The Norse saw several offensive records broken, both individually and at the team level, and led the nation in doubles and doubles per game. Asalon earned his first back-to-back GLVC championships as the Norse finished 41-22, earning Asalon his third GLVC Coach of the Year award for the 2009 season. The five conference championships over the eight-year span are equaled only by ABCA Hall of Fame coach Irish O’Reilly, who accomplished the feat while coaching Lewis between 1985 and 1992. Additionally, Asalon’s squad led the GLVC in both team hitting and team pitching on the season while 11 players earned All-GLVC honors, including GLVC Player of the Year Evan McDole. In 2008, Asalon led the Norse to a 38-24 record and their fourth Great Lakes Valley Conference title in the previous seven years. The Norse did so in dramatic fashion, losing in the opening game of the GLVC tournament before rallying back to victory. Asalon was the first coach in GLVC history to amass four titles so quickly into his tenure and only the second coach in GLVC history to accumulate four conference titles such a short span. In 2007, the Norse finished 27-26. The Norse challenged themselves early, taking on the previous three national champions – Delta State, Florida Southern and Tampa – in the first three weeks of the season. Asalon guided NKU to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship in 2006 and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Norse finished 42-20-1 overall, 3611-1 in the GLVC. The 42 wins are the most for NKU since 1989, when the Norse finished 45-9. Seven years ago, Asalon led NKU to a 31-26 record. It marked the fourth time in five years that Asalon led the Norse to at least 30 victories. In 2004, Asalon guided NKU to a 37-25 record and its second Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship in three years. The Norse also advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament and featured GLVC Pitcher of the Year Derrik Moeves, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005. In 2002, Asalon led NKU to a 37-24 record and guided the Norse to their first-ever GLVC Tournament championship. Asalon was named GLVC Coach of the Year in 2002, and he guided the Norse to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 1990. Asalon, who spent six years as the baseball head coach at Thomas More College prior to taking the NKU position in 2000, is a 1994 graduate of NKU. Asalon played baseball for the Norse from 1980-83, and he was a three-year starter at catcher. Asalon earned AllRegion honors in 1981 and served as team captain in both 1982 and ‘83. He later was an assistant baseball coach for the Norse from 1991-94, before taking the Thomas More coaching job in 1994. Asalon led Thomas More to a school-record 32 victories in 2000 and its first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. He was named Association of Mideast Colleges Conference Coach of the Year in 1995. In addition to being the baseball coach, Asalon also served as Thomas More’s athletic director for two years.
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