Coach Houser is in his first season as an assisant coach after spending the last two years as a graduate assistant.
Houser has spent the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons on the staff as a graduate assistant coach working primarily with throwers. He will continue in that role, an area where he’s had great success. Prior to his arrival, Ottawa throwers combined to score only 17 points at the KCAC Championships. In his second season working with throwers, they totaled 55.
In 2021, Ottawa throwers set three separate school records, one of which was broken twice. Drew Loukota set the hammer throw record at the Baker Relays with a 48.01m throw. Andrew Sprague set an Ottawa record in the weight throw with a 16.65m effort at the KCAC Championships. Hannah Pasley set a new mark in the discus with a 36.27m effort at the SBU Bearcat Invite, which was bested a few weeks later at the Southwestern Relays when Destiny Escobar had a 36.36m throw.
Under Houser’s leadership, Laurel Barber and Andrew Sprague both qualified for the 2021 NAIA Outdoor National Championships in Javelin and Discus respectively. He also helped Barber win the KCAC Championship in the javelin as a freshman. In total, four athletes combined to earn eight All-Conference honors last season. Over his two seasons in Ottawa, Houser has coached 13 All-KCAC performers and helped numerous athletes set personal bests.
While coaching, Houser continues his athletic career. Earlier this year, he was ranked in the top 20 in the US for the hammer throw. Houser said he fell short of some goals for 2021 but is ready to do all he can in offseason training with a goal of qualifying for the US Championships in 2022.
He was a collegiate standout at Midland, qualifying for the NAIA National Track and Field National Championships 10 times. He was a five-time NAIA Track and Field All-American and finished runner up at the 2019 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in the hammer throw.
Houser graduated from Midland University of May of 2019 and is certified in Functional Movement Screening. He earned a Master of Arts in Education degree with a focus on educational leadership at Ottawa University in August.
