Pioneer Coaches

COACHES

Bill Storrs – Head Coach - Baseball

Twenty-nine years ago, Bill Storrs founded the Crestwood Panthers Amateur Baseball Team and assumed the role as head coach. Storrs continues to direct the Crestwood program, but he added another responsibility to his docket in 2008 –– head coach of the Prairie State College baseball team.

In his inaugural season at PSC last spring, the Pioneers finished 16-24, with seven players receiving post-season awards.

Prairie State is not the first collegiate position for Storrs as he coached at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights from 1988-96.

Both Crestwood and Trinity have benefitted under Storrs’ tutelage.

When the Panthers were created nearly three decades ago, they were primarily a local park district team. Today, Crestwood, which is comprised of current and former collegiate players along with ex-professionals, ranks among the elite amateur teams in the country. In 2006, the Panthers enjoyed their most successful season, earning the No. 2 ranking in the country by the National Semi-Professional Baseball Association and capturing both the Northern Illinois Wood Bat League and the Chicago Stan Musial Wood Bat League en route to compiling a 43-16 overall record. Crestwood took third at the 2007 National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series in Wichita, Kan., and followed that with a No. 10 showing at the tournament last year.

Crestwood also appeared in the NBC World Series in 1989 and 1999, placing sixth and seventh, respectively. Furthermore, the Panthers claimed a pair of Chicago Suburban Baseball League crowns in 1999 and 2001.

In recognition of his team’s accomplishments, Storrs was inducted into the Chicago Suburban Baseball League Hall of Fame in February 2009, and he was named as the NBC Coach of the Year and recipient of the Sportsmanship Award in 1996.

Storrs’ time at Trinity Christian was spent as both the associate head coach (1988-94) and as head coach (1995-96). During his entire tenure with the Trolls, he also was the lead recruiter.

As the associate head coach, Storrs was the third base coach, hitting coach and fielding instructor for catchers and infielders. Besides improving from eight wins to 20 in a two-year span, Trinity also sent its first player to the professional ranks when Bob Schaaf was inked to a contract.

Storrs experienced success as the Trolls’ head coach, recording 20-plus wins, defeating St. Xavier and St. Francis for the first time in team history and advancing to the conference tournament.

Along with coaching, Storrs is the president of Storrs Insurance Agency, which he founded in 2000. Prior to starting up that company, he was an agent for Allstate Insurance for 20 years and received the organization’s Most Distinguished Sales Leader on 15 occasions.

Storrs and his wife Kathleen have three children, including Tim who is a Prairie State freshman infielder, and Bill Jr., a member of the PSC coaching staff. They reside in Palos Heights.

Roy Bringelson - Assistant Coach - Baseball

Former Prairie State College pitcher Roy Bringelson joins the Pioneer coaching staff in 2009.

Bringelson, a 2003 Homewood-Flossmoor High School graduate, pitched for PSC in 2004 and 2005 before embarking on Ashford University, an NAIA school located in Clinton, Iowa, for his junior and senior campaigns.

In 2004, Bringelson recorded 67 strikeouts, which are the second most by a Prairie State player for a single season. His 66.2 innings of work that year ranks as the program’s fourth-highest total.

In his two-year stint at Ashford, Bringelson established seven single-season team records, including wins, strikeouts, ERA, innings pitched and pick-offs.

Bringelson, an all-state performer his senior year at Homewood-Flossmoor, has been playing professionally for the Rockford Riverhawks of the Frontier League since 2007.

Dave Nykiel - Assistant Coach - Baseball

First-year coach Dave Nykiel comes to Prairie State College after graduating from Northern Illinois University in 2008.

Nykiel, a pitcher at NIU, ranks third in Huskie history with 92 appearances.

While playing for the Pittsfield Dukes (Mass.) in the summer of 2006, Nykiel earned New England Collegiate Baseball League Player of the Week honors. The previous summer, he was a member of the Prairie Gravel team that won the National Baseball Congress national championship.

During his prep career at Andrew High School, Nykiel was all-area twice and all-conference once. He also competed in the All-State All-Star Game in 2004.

Along with his coaching duties at PSC, Nykiel gives personal lessons at On-Deck Baseball Academy in Orland Park and works for Dunbar Armored.

Bill Storrs, Jr. - Assistant Coach - Baseball

After completing his collegiate career at Robert Morris College in 2008, Bill Storrs, Jr. has joined the collegiate coaching ranks this year as a Prairie State assistant.

Prior to going to Robert Morris, Storrs played at PSC in 2005. In his one-year stint with the Pioneers, Storrs batted .402, which is the ninth-highest single-season total in team history, and hit five homers, equaling the third most by a Prairie State player. In all, Storrs hit 24 home runs at the collegiate level.

In the summer, Storrs plays for the Crestwood Panthers and was the runner up for the Chicago Suburban Baseball League 2008 Player of the Year. While playing for the Panthers in 2005, he was the league’s recipient of the College Player of the Year.

Storrs is the CSBL’s all-time leader in home runs and RBIs, and he is third in total bases. With the exception of triples and stolen bases, he ranks in the top-10 in all of the statistical categories on offense.

Storrs, who received a degree in business from Robert Morris, gives lessons at On-Deck Baseball Academy in Orland Park.

Mike Manderino – Head Coach – Men's Basketball

Since joining the coaching profession over 30 years ago, Mike Manderino has assembled an impressive run at both the collegiate and high school levels

Manderino, now in his fifth season as the head basketball coach at Prairie State College, took his first post at his alma mater, Mendel Catholic High School in Chicago, in 1976. He was an assistant with the Monarchs for eight years, including the 1981-82 campaign when they took second in the Class AA state tournament (lost to East St. Louis Lincoln) after putting an end to Quincy’s 64-game winning streak in the semifinals.

In 1984, Manderino was elevated to head coach at Mendel, which later changed its name to St. Martin de Porres. His 1991 and 1994 teams both advanced to the Class A state tournament. The 1994 team also won the Chicago Catholic League title and was led by Jerry Gee, the recipient of the state’s Mr. Basketball Award, who went on to star at the University of Illinois.

Manderino’s success then carried over to Leo High School as he won the Catholic League crown in each of his three seasons there beginning in 1997-98. His inaugural team also advanced to the Class A state tournament, where it took fourth place.

After departing Leo in 2000, Manderino served as an assistant coach at South Suburban College for four seasons before taking over the Prairie State program in 2004-05. In his four seasons at PSC, Manderino has a 54-68 record. His 19-12 finish in 2007-08 marks his best showing with the Pioneers.

Along with basketball, Manderino also has been a successful high school baseball coach. He was the varsity head coach at Mendel (St. Martin de Porres) from the spring of 1977 until 1997. After being named head basketball coach at Leo, Manderino took over the head coaching duties of the Thornridge High School baseball team in 1998.

Manderino continues to coach baseball at Thornridge in addition to teaching in the school’s special education department.

For his coaching accomplishments, Manderino was named as the Catholic League’s basketball Coach of the Year in 1994 and 2000 and the baseball Coach of the Year in 1985. In 2001 and 2008, the Northwest Indiana Times chose Manderino as its baseball Coach of the Year.

Manderino also found success as an athlete, earning all-conference honors in basketball and baseball at Mendel, where he graduated in 1970. His achievements as a player and coach earned him a spot in the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame.

After completing his prep career at Mendel, Manderino attended Lewis College (now Lewis University) and was a standout on both the basketball court and baseball field.

As a senior captain on the 1974 baseball team, Manderino, a second baseman, helped the Flyers capture the NAIA national championship. Furthermore, he collected a pair of Defensive Player of the Year awards from the basketball team.

Manderino continued his baseball career with the Cleveland Indians organization as he played three years (1975-77) in its minor-league system.

Manderino and his wife, Therese, live in Glenwood.

Softball Logo

Nicole Ashmon – Head Coach - Softball

The rise to the top of the Prairie State College softball coaching ranks began in 2005 for Nicole Ashmon, who was named as the Pioneers’ head coach this past summer.

Ashmon, who played for PSC in 2002, joined the staff as a volunteer assistant in 2005. After a one-year stint in that capacity, she returned in 2007 as an assistant before moving up to co-head coach last spring.

After graduating from Bloom Township High School, Ashmon attended Rend Lake College in Ina, Ill., for the 2000-01 school year and was voted team MVP of the Warriors’ softball and basketball teams. She then transferred to Prairie State her sophomore season and was selected to the 2002 All-Skyway Conference honorable mention softball team.

Ashmon concluded her collegiate career at Calumet College of St. Joseph’s (Ind.), where she was a member of the All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference softball and basketball teams in each of her two seasons of competition.

Besides PSC, Ashmon, who resides in Harvey, also has coached AAU summer teams in Blue Island since 1999.

Marty Mears - Assistant Coach - Softball

In his tenure at Prairie State College, which dates back to the early 1980s, Marty Mears has been a student-athlete, adjunct faculty member, Fitness Center employee and part of the scorers table staff for basketball games and volleyball matches. Mears has added another responsibility to the list this spring as he has joined the coaching ranks as an assistant with the softball team.

Mears, a native of Virginia, played one year of basketball at PSC. After earning his Associates degree, he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education at Chicago State University. He later received a Master’s degree and Type 75 Administration Certificate from Governors State University.

In addition to his Prairie State responsibilities, Mears teaches physical education in Oak Lawn. He also coached the Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School girls basketball team.

Mears lives in Richton Park. He has an 11-year-old daughter, Kiersten.

David Spataru - Head Coach - Men's / Women's Soccer

It didn’t take long for David Spataru to make an impact on the Prairie State College men’s soccer program. In his first season as the Pioneers’ head coach in 2007, Spataru guided his team to a 10-9-1 overall record, which was a vast improvement over the school’s 3-30-1 showing the previous two years. In recognition of his team’s success, Spataru was named as the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year and the NJCAA Region IV Co-Coach of the Year. In league play, Prairie State finished third among eight teams with a 4-2-1 mark.

PSC had an even more successful campaign last fall, posting an 11-6-1 record and claiming second-place honors in the conference with a 5-2-0 ledger.

Along with entering his third season with the Pioneers’ men’s team, Spataru will also assume the role as head coach of the women’s program.

Spataru got his first taste of collegiate coaching in 1985 when he served as an assistant at the University of San Francisco, an NCAA Division I National Tournament qualifier that fall.

After a two-year stay at USF, Spataru became head coach at Augustana College, the first of three consecutive NCAA Division III schools where he would coach.

All six of Spataru’s Augustana teams registered winning records en route to producing an overall record of 69-39-8. In addition, the Vikings placed second in the Collegiate Conference Illinois & Wisconsin five times.

From 1994-97, Spataru went 24-28-4 at Westfield State College (Mass.). He followed that by going 15-24-1 in 1999 and 2000 at Buena Vista University (Iowa).

Spataru remained in Iowa to coach the Marshalltown Community College team from 2001-03. He led the Tigers to a winning record all three years, including the final season when the team went 16-4, which was his best performance ever as head coach. In all, his Marshalltown teams were 32-15-1 under his tutelage and advanced to the region finals three times.

After taking the 2004 season off, Spataru was an assistant coach at Judson College (2005) and McHenry County College (2006). McHenry’s 15-4-1 effort that fall established a school record.

In his tenure as a collegiate head coach, Spataru’s teams have forged a 161-121-16 record.

Spataru’s coaching background, however, is not relegated solely to the collegiate ranks. He was the head coach – as well as a player – for the Israeli Third Division men’s team in 1976-77.

Prior to playing for that team, Spataru competed in the junior division, senior division and collegiate level for Romania and Israel from 1960-75.

Besides soccer, Spataru, who is an avid distance runner, has a rich history in track and field, as he has coached at seven colleges and has had several athletes go on to win national championships.

Likewise, Spataru has taught exercise science, physical education and/or math at seven colleges.

Spataru received his physical education teaching certificate at Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel in 1977. He furthered his academic credentials at Indiana University, earning a master’s degree in physical education/physiology of exercise in 1984.

Spataru’s goal at Prairie State is to bring in quality players who value their education.

“I want to build a winning tradition at Prairie State while keeping education a top priority,” Spataru said. “We’re looking to attract good student-athletes who are solid citizens and committed to working hard on the field and in the classroom. The goal is to get our players to continue on at four-year schools.”

Jeff Boyd – Head Coach - Women’s Basketball

Four years after serving as an assistant coach for the Prairie State College men’s basketball team, Jeff Boyd returned to PSC to take over as the head coach of the Pioneers’ women’s basketball program in 2007.

Boyd finished his rookie campaign in 2007-08 with a 10-21 record and saw his Pioneers open the NJCAA Region IV Tournament with a victory, enabling them to advance to the semifinals. Prior to Boyd’s arrival, Prairie State had not posted a win since the 2003-04 season.

Boyd began his coaching career at his alma mater, Central State University (Ohio), where he was an assistant to former NBA player Kevin Porter from 1990-96. While playing for the Marauders, Boyd was a four-year letterwinner and a two-year starter who averaged 12 points per game as a junior and 16 points his senior year.

Besides playing for Central State, Boyd also earned a spot on the USA National Team that competed in Seoul, Korea, in the summer of 1989. The USA team finished third at the tournament, which also included the Russian and Chinese Olympic teams.

After departing Central State, Boyd taught and coached at the junior high level in Detroit from 1996-98. He gained additional coaching experience working basketball camps at Wright State University (Ohio).

During his prep career at Thornridge High School, Boyd was a standout in basketball, football and track.

Boyd resides in Harvey and has one son.

Scott Sheets – Head Coach - Volleyball

Starting a program from scratch is never an easy task, but Prairie State College head volleyball coach Scott Sheets looks to have the Pioneers heading in the right direction as they embark on their third season of competition in 2008.

In its inaugural campaign two years ago, PSC’s roster consisted of 11 freshmen and just one sophomore transfer. Despite the inexperience, Sheets’ team was competitive, recording a 6-14 record with three players earning all-conference honors. Prairie State improved to 19-20 last fall, and, once again, three Pioneers garnered a spot on the all-conference team. Furthermore, three additional PSC players claimed academic all-conference accolades.

Before taking over at PSC, Sheets was the head coach of the Top Spin Volleyball Club for three years, an assistant varsity coach at Crete-Monee High School for two seasons and an assistant coach for the boys’ freshman team at Homewood-Flossmoor High School for one year. In addition, Sheets is a certified USA Volleyball CAP Level 1 Coach.

As a player, Sheets competed for over 10 years on adult-level club teams for USA Volleyball.

Sheets, a certified personal trainer, received his bachelor’s degree from Governors State University. He has also been a member of the Park Forest Police Department for 20 years.

Kim Halbach - Assistant Coach - Volleyball

Former NCAA Division I volleyball player Kim Halbach enters her first season as Prairie State College’s assistant volleyball coach in 2008. Along with her coaching duties, Halbach also is PSC’s Athletic Enrollment and Academic Advisor/Mentoring Specialist.

Halbach played her collegiate career at Jacksonville State University (Ala.) and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Exercise Science and Wellness in 2005 after posting a 3.85 cumulative GPA.

Halbach’s academic honors at Jacksonville included receiving the Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medal of Honor in 2004 and being a four-time selection to both the Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Scholar Athlete Hall of Fame. As a senior, Halbach claimed the Outstanding Student in Exercise Science and Wellness Award.

Along with those accomplishments, Halbach earned membership into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi as well as the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Honor Society. In addition, she served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council her sophomore, junior and senior years.

From 2005-07, Halbach did an internship in the University of Alabama’s Center for Athletic Student Services. While at Alabama, Halbach got her master’s degree in Sport Management (3.91 GPA).

The bulk of Halbach’s coaching background is at the club level. She spent five summers as a camp counselor for the Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club and was the head coach of the Cheaha Volleyball Club for two years.

Halbach, who is originally from Burlington, Wis., resides in Flossmoor.