St. Bonifacius, MN - Polars Athletics is excited to announce that Ryan Borde will be the new Head Softball Coach.
He will be the 5th Head Coach of Polars Softball in the NCAA-Era (Since 2008). Borde will begin his role starting on January 22nd, 2024.
"We are excited to introduce Ryan Borde as the newest head coach for Polars Softball. Coach Borde's appointment is a true answer to months of prayers. His wealth of experience in coaching, athletics, and business management heralds a promising future for our program and athletic department. We believe his leadership will build upon our foundation, and we are grateful to welcome him to our team. The excitement that he has already generated within the program is fun to see. Great things are ahead for Polars," said Vice President of College Relations Joel Johnson.
Ryan Borde just finished his first season at Stayton High School, in Stayton, Ore., and led the Eagles to their first conference championship in 21 years. In 2023, Stayton went 24–4 and 15–0 in league play. He was named Oregon West Conference Coach of the Year and was a finalist for 4A state coach of the year.
"Right from the beginning of the interview process, I was beyond impressed by how genuine and authentic the people at Crown are. It started with the VP of College Relations Joel Johnson, then the new athletic director Steve Tebbs, and finally President Denton. All three did a great job of sharing with me about the culture of Crown, and how Jesus is at the center of everything they do. That really resonated with me because I want to make sure that the Lord is the foundation of our softball program moving forward," said Borde.
Prior to Stayton, he was the head coach at West Albany High School in Albany, Ore., for five seasons, leading the Bulldogs to four conference titles. He was named conference coach of the year four times and was the 2021 5A State Co-Coach of the Year. Overall, in six seasons of coaching at the high school level, he has a 126-29 record.
"We are thrilled that Ryan will be our next head softball coach at Crown," Crown Athletic Director Steve Tebbs said in a statement. "His work ethic, persistence, confidence and passion for developing young people is evident in his past experiences We are excited to support Coach Borde in this opportunity to build Crown softball into a UMAC Championship-caliber program."
From 2007-2008, Borde was the assistant athletic communications director at the University of Washington, where he handled all of the public relations for the nationally ranked volleyball and softball programs. From 2008 to 2012, he was the assistant media relations director at Portland State University, and worked with the Vikings Softball program, handling all of their communications.
"The players that I have had the pleasure of meeting all have impressed me immensely, and I can't wait to become their coach and help them in their walk with Jesus. My top goal as a coach is to help student athletes be the best versions of themselves, on and off the field," said Borde.
Borde holds a Master of Education in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership degree from the University of Washington, and a bachelors degree in speech communications from Oregon State University. He played football and baseball at Pacific Lutheran University, in Tacoma, Wash.
A native Oregonian, Borde has one son, Ty (18), who plays football at George Fox University, and a Goldendoodle named Champ. He is an avid traveler and a big fan of Oregon State University athletics and the Green Bay Packers.
