2025 - Dr. Rob Stack, after retiring in 2017, and then returning for the last two years as a coaching assistant, is the interim head coach for 2025. A math professor at Chadron State for the past 26 years, Stack is now entering his 13thyear of service to the CSC Softball program. During his 10-year career as head coach from 2008-2017, the Eagles averaged more than 22 wins per season.
Stack’s last year as head coach (in 2017) elevated CSC Softball to new heights as the team won a school-record 32 games, won a school-record 25 conference games, qualifying for the RMAC tournament for the third time in four years, finishing fourth in the conference standings, and had its highest finish in the conference tournament with a third place showing. Jessica Jarecki was named Co-freshman of the year, while Lindsey Karlin and Kayla Michel earned second team all-conference honors. Three others, Taylor Bauer, Zoe Humphries, and Aspen Eubanks were named all-conference honorable mention. With the high finish in the conference tournament, Jarecki and Ellie Owens were named to the RMAC all-tournament team. Jarecki and Karlin were named RMAC pitcher of the week and player of the week, respectively, during the course of the season. Academically, Courtney Lecher and Humphries were named RMAC first team all-academic.
2016 marked the finest season ever in CSC softball history (in terms of winning percentage). The Eagles had their second winning season in three years, setting school records for total wins (29) and season winning percentage (.602) as the team went 29-19-1, finishing third in the conference standings. Chadron State also qualified for the RMAC Tournament for the third time. Having gone 1-2 in the previous two appearances, CSC went 2-2, finishing fourth, in 2016. Junior Courtney Lecher had an outstanding tournament and was named to the RMAC All-Tournament Team, becoming the first-ever Eagle to receive that distinction.
Senior pitcher Tayler Hall had a phenomenal season, compiling a 16-3 record en route to being named the 2016 RMAC Pitcher of the Year. Tayler was also named as a Second Team All-Region pitcher by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Besides Hall being named as a First Team All-RMAC pitcher, Lecher was named as a Second Team shortstop, with senior Katelyn Kruger being named a Second Team first baseman, and junior Lindsey Karlin named Second Team outfielder. Junior catcher Zoe Humphries, junior third baseman Taylor Bauer, sophomore outfielder Aspen Eubanks, and freshman designated player Kayla Michel were all Honorable Mention recipients from the conference.
In 2014, the Eagles posted their first-ever winning season while qualifying for the RMAC Tournament. CSC won 28 games - a school record at the time. Two players on that team were named All-RMAC and Stack was named the RMAC Coach of the Year. Chadron State finished tied for second in the conference standings, its highest-ever finish in the conference.
In the spring of 2010, CSC also qualified for the RMAC postseason tournament, winning one game. It was the first time in school history the Eagles played in the conference championship tournament.
Stack’s players excel in the classroom. The team GPA has been consistently above 3.10 and Casey Williams and Cassie Humphrey were named the RMAC All-Academic Players of the Year in 2009 and 2010. Williams and Angela Jay were also Academic All-Americans.
In 2014, Breeze Phillips was the recipient of the Summit Award, which is presented to the player with the highest grade point average of those participating at the RMAC Softball Tournament. Once again, in 2016, Phillips was awarded the Summit Award, the first ever RMAC softball player to win the award more than once.
Williams, under Stack’s guidance, also became the first CSC pitcher to be named the RMAC Pitcher of the Year.
Prior to becoming the head softball coach, Stack coached baseball for approximately 20 years. He served as the Chadron Senior Legion baseball coach for seven years, leading the Post 12 seniors to nearly 250 wins during his tenure with the team.
Stack was also the head baseball coach at the University of South Dakota from 1994-1998 before coming to Chadron State.
Before coming to CSC in 1998, Stack taught in the math department at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion for four years. He earned all three of his degrees from USD – a doctorate in 1998, a master’s degree in 1991 and a bachelor’s degree in 1990.
Stack, a native of Tabor, S.D., and his wife, Jill, have six children, Kiya, Riley, Caston, Jayden, Brooklyn, and Kennady, and five grandchildren, Isla, Clark, Harlee, Maggie, and Jaxon.
