John Leister
Alma College Director of Athletics
John Leister was named the Alma College Director of Athletics after a nationwide search was conducted in the beginning months of 2007. Only months after his hire, Coach Leister has already made his mark on the department by quickly surrounding himself with hard working, trustworthy, and skilled coaches.
“We have coaches, staff and student-athletes here who are passionate about Alma College,” said Leister. “I’m excited to hopefully serve as a catalyst for helping the College and the athletic program move forward, not by inches but by leaps and bounds. I envision the athletic department linking up more as partners with admissions, academics and other campus departments. We also want to be visible in Alma and the surrounding communities.”
Leister arrived at Alma College in 1994 as an assistant football and assistant baseball coach. In 1997 he became the head baseball coach for the Scots. He led the Scots to the 1999 MIAA title, their first league title since 1987. He also serves as the offensive coordinator for the Scots football team; his renowned "Scotgun" offense has been consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally.
A three-year starter at quarterback for Michigan State University, Leister moved on to play professional football with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL and the Michigan Panthers of the USFL before pitching for the Boston Red Sox.
Leister is married to the former Michelle Olds '97. He has four children, Nicole, Jarrett, Hailey and Alyssa.
A Message From Director of Athletics John Leister
Greetings visitors to the Alma College Athletics website,
It is with great excitement and hopefulness that I write you. These are truly fine times here at Alma College as there is a buzz throughout the athletic department that has been created by the infusion of new coaches to an already outstanding staff and the resurgence of support that has been shown by the community, campus, and alumni. The experience of coming to work every day in this environment is nothing short of wonderful and I would invite all of you to stop by and see what I mean.
New Members to the Alma College Coaching Staffs
Head Men’s Basketball Coach Terry Smith
Terry Smith has been hired to invigorate our Men’s basketball program. Terry has previously been at Lake Superior State and Grand Valley State University and brings the Scot family an experienced coach with tremendous energy.
Head Swimming & Diving Coach Chris Hamstra
Chris Hamstra has taken the reigns with the Men’s and Women’s Swimming teams. Chris has had stints at Hope and Calvin as an assistant coach after an All-MIAA swimming career at Hope College.
Diving Coach Channing Kimball
Channing Kimball has joined us as the Men’s and Women’s Diving coach. Kimball joins us from The University of Wyoming where she was a four-year letter winner.
Head Cross Country &Track & Field Coach Gordon Aldrich
Gordon Aldrich has taken over the both the men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams and the Men’s and Women’s Track teams. Gordon brings the Scots a wealth of experience, 26 years as a Head high school, four state championships and seventeen conference championships.
Head Volleyball Coach and Assistant Director of Athletics Cheyenne Luzynski
Cheyenne Luzynski has take over the Volleyball program after serving as the assistant last season. Cheyenne will also assume the duties of assistant athletic director and Senior Women’s Administrator.
Head Baseball Coach and Assistant Director of Athletics Judd Folske
Judd Folske will take over the baseball program as Head Coach. Judd has been the head Coach at Ferris State and Central Michigan prior to retiring then un-retiring to assist me for the last two years.
Other Additions and Changes
Beth Dodson has joined us as our Head Trainer and Philip Andre has signed on as her assistant.
The new members of our staff are very committed individuals with a tremendous understanding of what it means to be a Scot and part of the Alma College Family.
The new blood in our department is only one reason why I am excited every day to come to work and be a part of what we are doing. The continued support from Dr. Tracy and the Board of Trustees in the form of financial support for our junior varsity programs, a freshman athletic class of 238 student athletes, a new state of the art track complete with a steeple chase pit, a concentrated effort on renovations of the Hogan Physical Education building, and the implementation of a task force for a new performance gym to be added to Hogan along with the continued upgrades to other athletic facilities are all reasons to make us all believe that Alma College is back on track to return as the elite in the MIAA.
Thank you for visiting the Alma College Athletics website and we hope to see you in the bleachers, on the sidelines, and in the stands wearing your Maroon and Cream and supporting your Scots.
