Meet the Assistant Coaches: Part One
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Sep 9, 2026
Student-athletes make up about 25% of the student body at Grinnell and assistant coaches are critical in supporting these high-level competitors. From practice to weight training to game day, these coaches are there every step of the way.
In this two part series, get to know the assistant coaches who help student-athletes become better competitors and individuals.
Eddie Arias, football
- Hometown: Morgan Hill, California
- Years coaching Grinnell: 6
- “I enjoy teaching the position I coach as well as the game of football generally. I also enjoy being a mentor leader.”
Gene Blalock, football
- Hometown: Tampa, Florida
- Years coaching Grinnell: 12
- “Mentoring student athletes to help them achieve their academic, athletic, and life goals. I enjoy the experience we share and relationships built through the sport we enjoy.”
Bailey Gibbons, women’s soccer
- Hometown: Denison, Iowa
- Years coaching Grinnell: 1
- “This is my first coaching position as I just graduated in May 2026!
- The thing I love most about coaching is getting to connect with student athletes and build a relationship on and off the field that not only allows the student athlete to grow but also allows me to grow as a coach and a person!”
Malcolm J. Gibson, football
- Years coaching Grinnell: 2
- “I enjoy the relationships with players and the ability to see these young men grow every day.”
Sean Grande, football
- Hometown: Salisbury, Maryland
- Years coaching Grinnell: 2
- “I enjoy helping others exceed their expectations of themselves.”
Andy Hamilton ’85, women‘s tennis
- Hometown: West Chicago, Illinois
- Years coaching Grinnell: 41
- “My favorite part about coaching is engaging with Grinnell student-athletes and helping them gain a vision for athletic and academic success while on campus, and a vision for a profession and life after graduation.”
Daniel Key, tennis
- Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
- Years coaching Grinnell: 12
- “First and foremost, as an old guy now and as someone who loves the game of tennis, I have the opportunity to be around amazing, highly committed tennis players and great people at Grinnell College. Our student athletes are exceptional. I have often felt like many in the community at large are missing out on an opportunity to see, up-close, what amazing collegiate tennis looks like. I would encourage folks to check it out when possible. We have some of the finest tennis players in the country (gathered from throughout the U.S and the world) right here at Grinnell College.”
Addyson Petig, volleyball
- Hometown: Grinnell, Iowa
- Years coaching at Grinnell: 1
- “The thing I love most about coaching is helping the athletes develop as human beings! There are so many concepts that are easily taught in a volleyball setting (leadership development, building relationships, trust and teamwork), that are also applicable to other areas of life. It’s my goal as a coach to be a resource and help every athlete develop their self-confidence and leadership skills, in order to be better volleyball players and also set them up for success off the court!”
Andrew Nickeson ’23, cross country
- Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
- Years coaching Grinnell: 3
- “I most enjoy the amount of positive and diverse interpersonal interactions and the day-to-day process of productive decision making both with my athletes and with my head coaches.”
Owen Tuckey, football
- Hometown: Williamston, Michigan
- Years coaching Grinnell: 1
- “Forming relationships with student-athletes and watching them develop both on and off the field.”
Chris Zug '93, golf
- Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
- Years coaching at Grinnell: 3
- “What I enjoy most about coaching is the opportunity to give back/pay it forward. I had two coaches, Edd Bowers ’43 and Greg Wallace, during my years at Grinnell who, along with a couple of mentors from the community, poured a lot into me and my development as a person, not just a golfer. I'd like to think that I can have a similar impact on the student-athletes with whom I am so fortunate to work.”