HIGHLIGHTS
- 22nd season at helm of the Ottawa softball program.
- Kahnt has an overall record of 535-393.
- Earned his 500th career coaching victory in OU's 3-1 victory over Milligan University at the NAIA World Series.
- Coach Kahnt has coached 136 All-KCAC selections, six first team All-Region IV selections, 13 NFCA All-Midwest Region Selections, two KCAC Players of the Year, four KCAC Pitcher of the Year, four NAIA All-Americans, one KCAC Newcomer of the Year and one Region IV Player of the Year.
Coach Kahnt is in his 22nd season as head softball coach for Ottawa University.
Kahnt has coached 136 All-KCAC selections, six first team All-Region IV selections, 13 NFCA All-Midwest Region Selections, two KCAC Players of the Year, three KCAC Pitcher of the Year, four NAIA All-Americans, one KCAC Newcomer of the Year and one Region IV Player of the Year. The softball team team has excelled in the classroom as well, having 35 players earn NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete honors, nine named NFCA Scholar Athletes, six teams named a Daktronic Scholar Team, and four Capital One Academic All-District selections. Kahnt has led the Braves to six KCAC regular season championships, two KCAC Tournament Championship, five NAIA National Tournament appearances, and four NAIA World Series appearances.
Kahnt's 2022 team won the program sixth KCAC Championship and qualified for its fourth NAIA Opening Round. Ottawa finished the season with an overall record of 36-15-1 and a KCAC mark of 20-4. Casson Rasmussen was named KCAC Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season and 11 Braves were named to the All-KCAC Teams. Ottawa did well in the classroom as well, being named NAIA Scholar Team and having 12 players named KCAC and Daktronic Scholar Athletes.
The 2021 Braves (45-7, 22-2) set five individual single season records and seven team records, including single season wins (45) and lowest team ERA (1.96). Kahnt earned his 500th career coaching victory in OU's 3-1 victory over Milligan University at the NAIA World Series. His coaching staff was named NFCA Region IV Staff of the Year and the Braves finished fourth in the NAIA Softball Coaches Poll, its highest finish in program history. Ottawa captured the KCAC Championship, the KCAC Tournament Championship, a NAIA Opening Round Championship, and qualfied for the program's fourth NAIA World series. Ottawa had 10 Braves earn All-KCAC honors with Casson Rasmussen being named KCAC Pitcher of the Year and Ally Pickering earning KCAC Newcomer of the Year honors. Pickering was named NFCA and NAIA Second Team All-American. Rasmussen earned NAIA Second Team All-American honors and was named to the NAIA World Series All-Tournament Team. Rasmussen, Pickering and Sammi Bates earned First Team NFCA Region IV honors.
The 2020 season was shorten by CoVID-19 but the Braves still finished with a winning record, 12-9, for its15th straight winning season. Ottawa finished the season with three straight victories with a victory over Peru State College and a double header sweep of Evangel University. The Braves finished the year ranked 24th in the NAIA in total batters struck out (105), 32nd in total assists (173), 40th in total chances (622), 42nd in total doubles (32), 42nd in total runs scored (115), 47th in total putouts (404), 49th in total innings pitched (134.2), 49th in chances per game (29.6), and 50th in total RBI (96).
In 2019, OU finished with an overall record of 27-20 and KCAC finish of fourth with a record of 16-8. The Braves qualified for its 13th straight KCAC Tournament and had seven players earn All-KCAC honors. OU freshman shortstop, Allison Kearney was named to the KCAC Gold Glove Team.
The 2018 Braves finished the season with an overall record of 37-16 and a third place finish in the KCAC with a record of 15-7. The Braves were one win away from qualifying for their second straight NAIA Softball Opening Round in the KCAC Softball Tournament. Under Kahnt's leadership, OU had seven players named to the All-KCAC Teams.
Kahnt led the Braves in 2017 to a school record 40 victories (40-19), the program's fourth KCAC Championship, its fourth trip to the NAIA National Tournament, and its third trip to the NAIA World Series. Six Braves were named to the All-KCAC teams with Molli Morgan being named KCAC PItcher of the Year and Kahnt was named KCAC Coach of the Year. Morgan was also named NAIA Second Team All-American and named ot the 2017 NAIA All-World Series Team. OU also did well in the classroom with six Braves being named Daktronic Scholar Athletes.
In 2016, under Kahnt's leadership, the Braves finished tied for second in the KCAC with an overall record of 17-5. OU set a new school record with 34 victories, finishing with a record of 34-20. The Braves had nine players earn All-KCAC honors with Gabby Markham being named First Team. OU excelled in the classroom as well with four Braves being named Daktronic Scholar Athletes.
The 2015 Braves finished with an overall record of 28-18 and a second place finish in the KCAC with a record of 14-4. OU had seven players earn All-KCAC honors; Elisa Valenzuela and Gabby Markham were both First Team selections with Markham being named Co-KCAC Pitcher of the Year. Anna Morgan, Sly Kelley, and Brooke McHale were named Second Team All-KCAC while Molli Morgan and Lydia Budke were selected Honorable Mention All-KCAC.
For the third time in program history the Braves qualified for the NAIA National Tournament with an appearence in the 2014 NAIA Softball World Series Opening Round. OU finished the season with an overall record of 27-23 and a second place finish in the KCAC with a record of 13-5. Under Kahnt's leadership, seven Braves earned All-KCAC honors with Gabby Markham and Lydia Budke being named First Team All-KCAC.
The 2013 Lady Braves finished 26-16 overall and 10-8 in the KCAC. OU had seven players earned All-KCAC honors; Cady Blevins, Amanda Martinsen, Becca Dunlop, Mikayla Oliphant, Lydia Budke, Morgan Shramek, and Catherine Wallace. Two Lady Braves, Blevins and Martinsen, were named to the Capital One Academic All-District 6 First Team.
In 2012 the Lady Braves finished with an overall record of 30-22 and a KCAC record of 14-4. OU finished second in the KCAC, finishing in the top half of the conference for the sixth straight season. The Lady Braves had eight players earn All-KCAC honors, led by Myah Sprew's KCAC Player of the Year selection. Sprew, along with Cady Blevin was named First Team All-KCAC. Amanda Martinsen, Lyndsay Swafford, Ashley Renaldi, and Morgan Shramek earned Second Team honors. Receiving Honorable Mention All-KCAC was Becca Dunlop and Darrin Lewis. Sprew, Blevins and Swafford were named NFCA All-Midwest. Sprew earned First Team honors and Blevins and Swafford were named to the Second Team. OU continued to excel in the classroom with four players being named Daktronic Scholar Athletes and Blevins and Martinsen earned the program's first Capital One Academic All-District 6 First Team selection.
For the first time in program history the Lady Braves captured back-to-back KCAC Championships with the regular season title in 2011. Kahnt was named Co-KCAC Coach of the Year and and OU finished the season with a record of 32-17 and a KCAC record of 12-4. Under Kahnt the Lady Braves had nine players earn All-KCAC honors and three were named to the NFCA All-Midwest Region Team. OU excelled in the classroom with Lindsy Adams and Lindsey Tuter being named Daktronic Scholar Athletes. Morgan Beckler, Cady Blevins, Michelle Bowman, Taylor Heffern, Darin Lewis, Amanda Martinsen, and Lyndsay Swafford, Tuter, and Adams were named NFCA NAIA Scholar Athletes.
Under Kahnt’s leadership in 2010, OU won its second KCAC Championship, captured the program’s first KCAC Tournament Title, and qualfiied for their second trip to the NAIA Softball National Championships. Because of his coaching efforts he earned his second KCAC Coach of the Year honor. OU finished the season with a record of 27-10 and a KCAC record of 15-1. OU placed nine players on the All-KCAC team and the program had its first All-American selection with Lindsey Tuter earning NFCA Second Team All-American honors. Myah Sprew was named Second Team NFCA All-Midwest and Tuter was a First Team NFCA All-Midwest selection. The OU softball team did well in the classroom as they were named a NAIA Scholar Team and had two players, Tuter and Kadie Berlin, named Daktronic Scholar Athletes.
The 2009 Lady Braves ended the season with an overall record of 26-18 and a KCAC record of 12-4. OU finished third in the KCAC regular season and third in the KCAC Post Season Tournament. Under Coach Kahnt’s leadership, the 2009 Lady Braves broke a total of eight team and individual records and defeated two nationally ranked softball teams for the first time in school history. OU had eight players earn All-KCAC honors, the most in program history.
During the 2008 season, Coach Kahnt earned his 100th head coaching victory as the Lady Braves earned their third straight Region IV Tournament birth. The Lady Braves set a school record for season victories with 31 and had seven players earn All-KCAC honors and for the third straight season a player earn Region IV honors.
In 2007, the Lady Braves won their first KCAC Regular Season Championship and finished second in the KCAC Post Season Tournament for the second year in a row. Coach Kahnt earned Co-KCAC Coach of the Year honors.
In 2006, OU became the first team in KCAC history to reach the NAIA Softball National Tournament by winning the programs first NAIA Region IV Tournament Championship.
Coach Kahnt was a student assistant from 1997-2000 for the men’s basketball team ,before becoming a full-time assistant in 2000 and continued in that position until 2006. Kahnt was a player in the Braves basketball program during the 1996-97 season, before deciding to become a coach. Kahnt graduated from Ottawa University in 2000 with a degree in business administration. In 2002, he received his master’s degree in sports administration from the University of Kansas. Kahnt is an instructor in the Physical Education Department and Director of Intramurals.
Kahnt and his wife Elizabeth, along with their three children Emma, Cooper, and Theo, reside in Ottawa.
