Ethan Westphal joined the SIUE coaching staff in the Fall of 2024 as the Cougars' Pitching Coach.
In Westphal's first season in the dugout, Cougar pitchers racked up 440 strikeouts, which ranked third in the OVC and were the most in program history at the Division I level. The team’s 8.50 strikeouts per nine innings ranked second in the league and were the third most for the program. The team’s 13 saves were one off the mark for most in a season at the Division I level.
Most recently, Westphal served as Pitching Director at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida for two years, where he enhanced his expertise and developed the ability to provide personalized guidance to his players.
Westphal began his coaching career as the Pitching Coach at Simpson College in Iowa in 2019. He then served as Pitching Coordinator at Kansas City Strength and Conditioning before returning to where he played, Central Missouri, as Pitching Coach. He helped guide the team to MIAA regular season and tournament championships in 2021, an NCAA-II Central Region title, and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Division II College World Series. The team led the MIAA with a 3.63 ERA and ranked eighth in NCAA Division II. In his second season at UCM, Westphal contributed to another MIAA regular season and tournament championship, with the team posting a 46-9 record and leading the MIAA with a 4.12 ERA. During this time, he also helped four pitchers sign professional contracts.
Westphal began his playing career at Southwestern Community College in Iowa before transferring to Central Missouri, where he was part of a Division II World Series appearance in
2016. After his junior year, he was signed by the Colorado Rockies, pitching for two years in their organization before spending a season with the Lake Erie Crushers in the Frontier League.
Ethan and his wife, Hailey, are both natives of the Midwest—Ethan from Iowa and Hailey from Missouri.
