The IU Columbus Athletic Department ushered in a new era at a press conference on Wednesday, July 1st to formally introduce Brian Wichman as the new Head Baseball Coach, and Todd Howard as the new Head Men's Basketball Coach. Athletic Director Zach McClellan opened the press conference and invited the community to get on board as the Crimson Pride teams and athletes are now in a position to compete with their River States Conference opponents and beyond. Both of these new coaches have experience and are very familiar with Columbus and Central Indiana.

Brian Wichman has been a key figure in the development of the baseball program as an assistant coach for the Crimson Pride the past two years. He has previously been a head coach at Scottsburg High School. He also founded the Indiana Blazers travel organization, overseeing all aspects of that organization. Coach Wichman has also worked as a scout for the Cincinnati Reds, giving him experience in player evaluation and strengthening his contacts in the area. Coach Wichman has been busy on the recruiting trail and feels that the momentum from a strong finish to the 2026 season will keep building with new talent coming in to complement the returning players. 

Todd Howard brings more than three decades of coaching experience to the IU Columbus program. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he has coached in Indiana for many years. He coached at IUPUI for 19 years as an assistant and then as head coach. During his time at IUPUI they moved up from NAIA to NCAA Division I. Coach Howard was instrumental in the development of several players who went on to professional careers, including NBA first round pick and Indiana Pacer George Hill. He has also coached at the High School level, serving eight seasons as head coach at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory High Scool, compiling a 124-68 record. He most recently served as the Associate Head Coach and then Interim Head Coach at Marian University in Indianapolis. Coach Howard stressed that throughout his time coaching he has been up and down Interstate 65 so many times that IU Columbus seems like a perfect fit. 

Both coaches are excited to get started and grow support in the community. These hires might be the turning point to vault the Crimson Pride to bigger and better things.