Central College Athletics

A member of the Central staff since 2007, Eric Van Kley was named athletics director for the college's tradition-rich 20-sport NCAA Division III program in 2012 and was promoted to vice president for athletics in 2024.

In addition to his primary role of mentoring and supporting coaches and staff and supporting student-athletes, he serves on the college's Senior Leadership Team. Van Kley provides strategic budget planning and financial oversight, fosters relationships with the college’s supporters and helps raise funds for continued development of the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex. He works with the advancement office in developing corporate support while teaming with the enrollment management staff in helping create and implement recruitment strategies.

Van Kley helped oversee the Forever Dutch® initiative, an $18 million renovation and expansion of P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium completed in 2021, as well as the more recent renovation of the Ron Schipper Fitness Center in 2023. He also orchestrated a new athletics branding initiative throughout the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex, helped the college’s athletics teams navigate the global pandemic and effectively taken on a growing role in athletics fundraising. He  managed the adoption of women's triathlon as a varsity sport in 2020, along with women's wrestling in 2023.

As Central's head wrestling coach from 2007-24, Van Kley was a national leader within the profession. The past chair of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Committee, he spent four years on the four-member committee (2016-20). Van Kley also served a year as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association after spending two years as president-elect.

Flowrestling.com interviews Eric Van Kley (Jan. 13, 2022)
TrackWrestling.com profiles Eric Van Kley (Aug., 2020)
TrackWrestling.com tours Central's new wrestling center with Eric Van Kley (Sept. 2019)
TrackWrestling.com features Eric Van Kley at the 2019 NCAA Division III Championships (March, 2019) 
      
Van Kley helped return the wrestling program to national prominence as well. He guided the Dutch wrestlers to six straight top-35 NCAA Division III team finishes, including a 21st-place showing in 2022 and top-20 team finishes in 2016 and 2017. Van Kley’s squads have posted eight 10-dual win seasons since 2010, including a 12-4 mark in 2021-22 with three national qualifiers. Under Van Kley’s leadership, the Dutch have received two Division III Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year Awards in his last five seasons and sent at least one wrestler to the national tournament 14 consecutive years. He was co-winner of the Iowa Conference Coach of the Year Award in 2009-10. Meanwhile, Central climbed from last place in the powerful Iowa Conference in 2008 to as high as third place in the even more formidable 17-team Central Regional.
    
Central wrestlers also earned NWCA Scholar All-America distinction 39 times in the past nine seasons, with three wrestlers named in 2022-23. In Van Kley’s 17 seasons at Central, the team posted a 149-111-1 record in dual matches against some of the fiercest competition in Division III.

Starting the wrestling program at the University of Great Falls (Mont.) in 2004, Van Kley instantly turned the team into an NAIA title contender. He compiled a 28-13 dual meet record over three seasons and wrestlers earned NAIA all-America distinction 13 times with three top-10 national team finishes. In 2006-07 the Argos won the West Region championship and finished sixth at the NAIA national tournament. Van Kley was named the NAIA West Region coach of the year. His 2005-06 team received NAIA Top 10 academic distinction. Van Kley also served as the Great Falls athletics director in 2006-07, overseeing an 11-sport program, and was named the university’s staff employee of the year.

Van Kley served three seasons as an assistant wrestling coach at The Dalles High School in Oregon before he spent a year as assistant coach for Division I Millersville University ( Pa.) while also serving as Leadership Program Coordinator for the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He worked with a Millersville squad that won the Eastern Regional dual meet title and placed second at the Virginia Duals.

Van Kley was involved in the U.S. Cadet & Junior National Greco-Roman tournament for eight years. He served as head coach of the Iowa team in 2011, guiding the squad to a sixth-place finish, after previously serving as an assistant, and was a team director in Montana.       
        
A Rock Valley, Iowa native, Van Kley is an honors graduate of Minnesota State University - Mankato. He was a three-time letterwinner for the NCAA Division II program, serving as a team captain in 2000. The Mavericks had three top-20 national finishes during his career. He was a two-time Scholastic All-America honoree, while receiving the team's Maverick Achievement Award in 2000. Van Kley also earned a master’s degree from Duquesne University (Pa.).

Achievements

Central College 

• Team had 149-111-1 (.572) record
• (2) top-20 NCAA Division III Championships finishes (2016 - 20th; 2017 - 18th)
• (14) NCAA Division III All-Americans
• (29) NCAA Division III Championships qualifiers
• (40) All-Conference performances
• (12) Conference performers of the week
• (2) NCAA Division III Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year awards (2015-16; 2018-19)
• (1) Iowa Conference Coach of the Year (2009-10)

University of Great Falls (Mont.)

• Team had 28-13 (.683) record in his three seasons
• (3) top-10 NAIA Championships finishes (2005 - 10th; 2006 - 6th; 2007 - 6th)
• (13) NAIA All-Americans
• (1) NAIA West Region Championship (2007)
• (1) NAIA West Region Coach of the Year (2007)

Millersville University (Pa.)

• Team had 9-6 (.600) record in his one season
• (4) NCAA Division I Championships qualifiers (141, 165, 174, 197)

Athletics career

Minnesota State University

• Team had 52-27 (.658) record in his four seasons
• (3) top-10 national team finishes (1998 - 7th; 1999 - 6th; 2000 - 7th)
• Team captain in 2000
• (2) Scholastic All-America selections
• (1) Maverick Achievement Award (2000)
• (3) varsity letters

Year-by-year Central record

     *2020 and 2021 NCAA Division III Championships cancelled due to CoVID-19 virus