New Albany, Ind. – Brett Neffendorf has been named the next head coach of the IU Southeast baseball program, Interim Director of Athletics Amanda Dailey-Weaver announced today.
Neffendorf has seven seasons of NAIA coaching experience as an assistant coach as Campbellsville, Cumberland (Tenn.) and, most recently, Union (Ky.) and was the head coach at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash. He is also currently an associate scout with the Houston Astros.
“I am excited to welcome Brett and his wife, Jana, to IU Southeast,” Dailey-Weaver said. “Brett brings a tremendous wealth of knowledge, is a terrific recruiter and can develop student-athletes and his communication skills make him a great fit for this position.
“The baseball program has had a very successful run over the past decade and I know Brett has high expectations to continue the program’s trajectory moving forward.”
Neffendorf was the associate head coach and pitching coach at Union College (Ky.) for the 2023 season. The Bulldogs finished the year 30-19 (a 20-win improvement from 2022) and won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament Championship.
“I want to thank Amanda for this opportunity, ” Neffendorf said. “It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be named the head baseball coach at IU Southeast and to follow one of my best friends in Ben Reel. He has built a great program here and I look forward to working with this talented group of student-athletes to continue their growth and success.”
Neffendorf spent the 2022 season at Cumberland University (Tenn.) where members of his recruiting class were named Mid-South Player of the Year, claimed five MSC First Team all-conference selections, two second team honors and a gold glove honor.
Prior to his stint at Cumberland, Neffendorf was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Campbellsville University from 2016-21. He helped develop the Tigers’ pitching staff into one of the best in the country and helped lead Campbellsville to the 2017 MSC Regular Season Championship, back-to-back MSC Tournament titles in 2018 and 2019, and the program’s first NCCAA World Series title in 2018.
While at Campbellsville, Neffendorf recruited and coached 11 MSC First-Team All-Conference performers, eight Second-Team, and one NAIA First-Team All-American. In addition, the Tigers struck out 506 batters and recorded 17 saves in 2018 – all single-season team records. In 2018, the staff also led the conference in ERA (3.88) and opponent batting average (.241) as well as setting a school record with 44 wins. In 2019, CU’s staff improved their numbers on the mound to post a 3.49 ERA and a .237 batting average against, led by four qualifying pitchers who held opposing hitters under the .200 mark.
Along with coaching and recruiting at Campbellsville, Neffendorf spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons as an associate scout for the Atlanta Braves.
Prior to Campbellsville, Neffendorf directed the Winter Prospect Camp at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore., where he worked closely with associate head coach Pat Bailey.
His previous coaching position came in Vancouver, Wash. as the head coach at Clark College. While at Clark, Neffendorf recruited and coached the first Clark player drafted in the Major League Draft since 1982 in pitcher Nick Duron (31st Round – Boston Red Sox).
Before accepting the head coaching position, Neffendorf was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Penguins in 2013-14
Neffendorf started his coaching career at NCAA Division III George Fox University in 2013 in Newberg, Ore. where he assisted head coach Marty Hunter with infielders, scouting reports and recruiting.
He has also coached in two highly-regard summer leagues – the Valley Collegiate League and Prospect Collegiate League. In 2013 he led the Slippery Rock Sliders to a franchise-record 30 wins, 133 stolen bases and coached Matt Calhoun – the Prospect League Player of the Year. In the summer of 2014, Neffendorf was an assistant for the Front Royal Cardinals of the Valley Collegiate League, which oversaw seven all-star game selections.
Neffendorf graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and earned a Masters in Management and Leadership from Campbellsville University.