ALBION, Mich. -- Three new assistant coaches have joined the Albion athletics department as part of their respective teams.

Gordie Theisen (baseball), Evan Metz (women's basketball) and Owen McDaniel (men's/women's wrestling) are the newest additions to Briton athletics teams.

THEISEN BRINGS NEARLY 40 YEARS OF COLLEGIATE COACHING EXPERIENCE TO ALBION BASEBALL

Theisen (pronounced 'tyson') arrives in Albion after a two-year stint as pitching coach at Division II Newberry College in South Carolina from 2024-25.

In 2025, Theisen helped mentor freshman Chansen Cole, who was a first-team All-South Atlantic Conference pitcher and now plays for West Virginia. Cole was ranked top-35 in Division II in strikeouts (97), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.62) and WHIP (1.08).

Additionally, Theisen helped guide two third-team All-SAC pitchers in 2024.

Before Newberry, Theisen served as pitching coach at Grand Valley State University for two seasons from 2022-23 where the Lakers tallied back-to-back 30-win seasons and made the GLIAC Tournament, including the championship game in 2023.

Three pitchers made the All-GLIAC team in 2023, including starter Nick Rutowski who was a first-team honoree and finished the season with a 2.57 ERA and five complete games, which both ranked in the top-35 in Division II.

In 2022, Theisen coached closer Nick Shaw who was an honorable mention All-America, first-team All-Region and first-team All-GLIAC selection. Shaw posted a 2.84 ERA and finished fourth in Division II with 11 saves.

Three other pitchers earned All-GLIAC honors that season as well.

Prior to GVSU, Theisen was the recruiting coordinator/pitching coach at Hillsdale College under his son, Eric, from 2014-21. Theisen helped the Chargers set a program record with 32 wins while qualifying for the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in 2016. Two years later in 2018, Theisen helped lead Hillsdale to a GMAC Tournament championship and a NCAA Tournament appearance for the second time in two years. 

No stranger to the MIAA, Theisen produced a successful tenure as the pitching coach at Adrian College for 10 seasons from 2004-13 full of unprecedented success. During his time with the Bulldogs, the team won or shared seven MIAA titles, including five straight from 2009-13. In 2008, Adrian captured the Mideast Regional championship and advanced to the Division III World Series, where they went 2-2 and finished fourth.

Theisen coached four MIAA Pitchers of the Year, and in 2011, the pitching staff posted an ERA of 2.56 which ranked second in all of Division III.

From 1988-93 and 1995-2003, Theisen served as the head baseball coach at Siena Heights University and finished with 341 career victories, the most in program history. During his time with the Saints, Theisen produced three players who were drafted by Major League Baseball clubs and three more who signed professional baseball contracts.

Theisen was inducted into the Siena Heights Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021.

Prior to Siena Heights, Theisen was the head coach at his alma mater, Our Lady of the Lakes High School in Waterford Mich., from 1986-87. While with the Lakers, he coached pitcher Mark Smith who was inducted into Albion's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011 and threw the only perfect game in MIAA history.

Theisen got his start in coaching as an assistant coach at Mamaroneck High School in New York from 1983-84. He was also an assistant coach at Lansing Catholic High School in 1985. While in New York, he coached 10-year MLB veteran and 1991 World Series champion Scott Leius on a summer baseball team.

Theisen graduated from Siena Heights in 1982 with a degree in social science and an English minor. He earned his master's in 2010 from Siena Heights as well in counseling.

Theisen's son, Eric, currently serves as hitting coach for the MLB's Milwaukee Brewers and his daughter, Tess, is finishing her law degree at Barry University in Florida.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WELCOMES EVAN METZ TO COACHING STAFF

Metz comes to Albion after a one-year stint as assistant girls basketball coach at Flint Powers Catholic High School, helping the Chargers to an 18-6 record and spot in the district final.

Before coaching, Metz worked as a real estate salesperson for Keller Williams for a year. He has also coached the Michigan Mystics girls basketball AAU team based in Clio, Mich. since 2023, working with both middle and high school athletes while leading training sessions for youth in grades 3-11.

The Hartland, Mich. native graduated from Michigan State University in 2022 with a degree in advertising management.

Metz holds a USA Basketball gold license.

MCDANIEL BACK LIKE HE NEVER LEFT WITH ALBION WRESTLING

McDaniel was a four-year wrestler at Albion from 2021-25 at 184 pounds and graduated with a career record of 78-34.

As a senior in 2024-25, McDaniel earned first-team All-MIAA honors and finished seventh at the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals while also being named a Scholar All-American for the second consecutive year.

McDaniel graduated from Albion in 2025 with a degree in business administration and management. While on campus, he was also a tour guide, a chapel worship leader and bible study leader.

A 2021 graduate of Plainwell High School near Kalamazoo, McDaniel finished his high school wrestling career with 148 victories and finished third in the state as a senior. He was a two-time state qualifier, four-time regional qualifier and two-time district and conference champion.

He helped Plainwell to a team district title and was named Team MVP all four years while winning the Coaches Award three years.

McDaniel was also a stellar football player and track & field athlete, qualifying for the state championships in the discus and earning the highest amount of points on the team at the meet. In football, he was a two-time first-team all-conference linebacker and a second-team Kalamazoo Dream Team selection.

Additionally, he was a member of the National Honors Society and a dean's list student.

McDaniel is the son of Chad and Gwen McDaniel and has a brother, Ryan, and sister, Samantha.

For more information on McDaniel, please see the link here when he was interviewed by the MIAA as a student-athlete in 2024.