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Gordie Theisen

Gordie Theisen

Coach Theisen
Hometown Waterford, Mich.
College Siena Heights '82 - B.S.
Siena Heights '10G - M.A.
    High School Our Lady of the Lakes (Waterford, Mich.) '78
Family Son, Eric, daughter, Tess
Playing History
    1979-82 Siena Heights
Coaching History
    1983-84 Mamaroneck High School, Assistant Coach
    1985 Lansing Catholic High School, Assistant Coach
    1986-87 Our Lady of the Lakes High School, Head Coach
    1988-93
    1995-03
Siena Heights, Head Coach
2004-13 Adrian, Pitching Coach
2014-21 Hillsdale, Recruiting Coordinator/Pitching Coach
2022-23 Grand Valley State, Pitching Coach
2024-25 Newberry, Pitching Coach
2026-pre. Albion, Assistant Coach
Gordie Theisen enters his first season as assistant baseball coach at Albion in 2026.

Theisen (pronounced 'tyson') arrived 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.