PELLA—After seven seasons away, former Central College football player and coach Cody Baethke is back on the staff as the team's new associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
           
Baethke previously served for five years as an assistant coach for the Dutch from 2013 to 2017. He has been the defensive coordinator at Coe College since 2018, adding associate head coach to his title before the 2024 season.
           
"We're really excited that Cody is coming back to Central College to lead our defense and serve as associate head coach," coach Jeff McMartin said. "He brings wealth of knowledge about he game of football and has strong ties and tremendous familiarity with Central College and our football program.
           
"One of his real skills is relating to the players. He's a great communicator and extremely talented at bringing out the best in people."
           
He was the American Football Coaches Association Division III Assistant Coach of the Year in 2024 while spearheading a Kohawk defense that was consistently among the best in Division III. In 2023, Baethke's defense finished top 10 in the country in six different categories. He helped Coe reach consecutive NCAA Division III playoff berths.
           
"You look at the job he did last year alone, taking a defense that graduated a majority of its players from the year before and finishing number one in the conference in just about every statistical category speaks volumes about the job he can do," McMartin said.
           
A native of Williamsburg and 2010 Central graduate, Baethke was a four-time letterwinner for the Dutch football team and was named second-team all-conference defensive back in 2009. He is seventh on the school leaderboard with 33 career passes defended. Central won three Iowa Conference championships and posted a 46-9 overall record during his career. He earned a master's degree from the University of Wis.-Eau Claire in 2014.
           
"I am thankful Coach McMartin has brought me back to Central," Baethke said. "Nichole and I can't wait to get back to where it all started for us. I'm ready to get to work and help build upon the tradition of Central football."
           
Prior to his first stint as an assistant coach at Central, Baethke was a defensive backs coach at Glenbard South (Ill.) High School before serving as outside linebackers and tight ends coach at Wis.-Eau Claire.
           
Baethke's wife Nichole is also a Central graduate and a former Dutch volleyball player. They have three children together.