KENOSHA, Wis. – Parkside Athletics and Director of Athletics Andrew Gavin are pleased to announce the hiring of Nick Maas as the head coach for cross country and track & field. Maas will lead the staff of assistant coach Carly Fehler and graduate assistant coach Evan Lewandowski.
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"My family and I are extremely excited to be a part of the UW-Parkside family!" Maas said. "Director of Athletics Andrew Gavin and his staff have a tremendous drive and vision for the university and the athletics department. The energy among the staff is palpable. The student-athletes and staff that I've had a chance to meet with made the university and the Southeastern Wisconsin Community feel like home. I would like to thank Andrew Gavin, Chris Barker and the entire UW-Parkside staff for inviting me into their family and I look forward to day one as a Ranger!"
Maas has experience at all levels of NCAA competition, most recently at NCAA Division I Western Illinois University, where he was the head coach for cross country and assistant coach for track & field since 2016. Before his time with the Leathernecks, Maas led an extremely successful program as the head coach at NCAA Division II Metropolitan State. He coached student-athletes to 45 program records with 65 All-Conference and 30 All-Region performers, 50 National qualifiers and 21 All-Americans across cross country and track & field. He was also the head coach at his alma mater Buena Vista University from 2007-10 and the head coach at Mount Marty College for a year.
"Parkside Athletics is thrilled to welcome Nick Maas to our team as the head coach of the cross country and track & field programs," Gavin said. "Nick displayed steady leadership qualities, high character, and diverse experiences that make him an ideal candidate to lead and mentor our student-athletes in and out of competition. We're excited to welcome Nick and his family to our Parkside Athletics family, our University, and our community."
Maas was a member of the cross country and track & field team at Buena Vista University, where he was a three-time team captain and named the MVP once. He also ran a year at the University of Northern Iowa, where he went on to earn All-Missouri Valley honors in the Distance Medley Relay.
"I got into this business to help young people grow into amazing adults and to play my roll in creating an environment that promotes that growth through sport," Maas added. "There has been a rich tradition at Parkside in Cross Country and Track and Field and amazing facilities in the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course and the Frank Petretti Fieldhouse. I am looking forward to working with everyone at Parkside to continue capitalizing on our resources and taking the program to new heights as a comprehensive cross country and track and field team."
The Tama, Iowa native graduated from Buena Vista University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studies in 2004. He earned his Master of Arts degree in Exercise Science with a physiology emphasis from the University of Northern Iowa in 2006. Maas is an avid runner, completing four marathons and several 50-mile races. Nick and his wife Mandi have been married for nearly 15 years and have a 4-year old daughter named Katelyn.
