By Steve Keslar
s-keslar@onu.edu
The success of a team can often be linked directly back to the quality of its coaching. Ohio Northern University has had a vast number of coaches in the past who have led their teams to victory. In all sports though, coaches tend to come and go. Over the summer, two coaches, Anthony Gholson and Jake Gleason, left Ohio Northern for other opportunities and two new coaches, Ryan New and Chad Bostelman were also hired.
Ryan New is now the head coach of the men and women’s cross country team and the head coach of the track and field team.  Before coming to Northern, New coached three seasons at Centre College in Danville, Ky. His cross-country team went to Nationals in 2007. In track he has coached everything from sprinters and jumpers to throwers and distance, he said. This year, Jason Maus will be the full-time assistant coach to New. 
In terms of expectations for the season, New and Maus are leaving that to the team to decide.
“This team can succeed,” New said. “They need to work hard because they want it, much more than we probably even know.”
New is excited to be at ONU, especially because of the sports environment. “The facilities are top-notch,” he said. “We are very lucky to have what we have here. At Centre we did not have a huge 200-meter mondo indoor track.”
New will bring a lot of enthusiasm to the program, and he will help Northern continue the strong traditions we have in those programs, Athletic Director Thomas Simmons said.
Chad Bostelman is the new head coach of the men’s golf team and assistant coach of the men’s basketball team. Before graduating in 2005, Bostelman was a standout basketball player at Northern. He was on the team that went to the Final Four in 2001, Athletic Director Thomas Simmons said. Bostelman then became a graduate assistant for men’s basketball at Heidelberg for two years, followed by a year as assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan. “It’s good to be back. Good to see familiar faces, and I’m excited about the challenge,” Bostelman said.
“Bringing someone back that is an alum, that has come from the institution, that is great,” Simmons said.
As Northern greets the new, it also waves goodbye to the old. Gholson is now the head basketball coach at Heidelberg, and Gleason is now the head track coach at Muskingum.  It was career moves for them, and we wish them the best in the future, Simmons said.
Ohio Northern has won the Men and Women’s All Sports title in the OAC for two years in a row, and the Polar Bears are looking forward to defending that title this year. Without a doubt, the additions of New and Bostelman to the coaching staff will help make that happen.