Bio

Began: 2021 | Season: 2023-24 is his 3rd season

Brian Rickert joined Milligan's athletics staff as the University's first bowling head coach in January 2021. Milligan’s men’s bowling team began competition in 2021-22 while the women’s program started in 2022-23.

Milligan’s women’s bowling team won the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) championship in the Buffs’ first year of competition. The Buffs defeated No. 1 SCAD Savannah and No. 17 SCAD Atlanta on their way to the first bowling conference championship in program history. The Buffs earned an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship where Milligan tied for seventh after winning a game in bracket play.

Freshman Emily Cheesman became the first Milligan bowler to earn NAIA All-America honors as she was tabbed as a Second Team All-American. The Buffs spent the majority of the season with a top-25 RPI rating and closed the year as the No. 34 women’s team in all of college bowling in the United States Bowling Congress women’s rankings. Cheesman was tabbed as the SSAC Rookie of the Year and Co-Player of the Year as four players earned all-conference honors.

The Milligan men’s bowling team was one of the most improved across all collegiate bowling. The Buffs jumped from the 149^th-ranked team in the nation in 2021-22 to a No. 75 final ranking across all of college bowling. Milligan reached the elimination bracket final at the SSAC Championships and had three bowlers claim all-conference honors. Freshman Cameron Shockey was named the SSAC Rookie of the Year.

Both of Milligan’s bowling teams were invited to the 2022-23 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Sectionals in Smyrna, Tenn. In the singles competition, Shockey posted the highest qualifying score in the nation (1,451 pins) to win the section championship and became the first Buff in program history to compete at the Intercollegiate Singles Championship in Las Vegas.

Rickert led the Buffs’ men’s bowling squad through its inaugural season in 2021-22. The year was highlighted by an eighth-place finish at the NAIA Unaffiliated Grouping Conference Championship. Milligan downed No. 3 SCAD Savannah in match play for Milligan’s first-ever match play victory in program history.

Before Milligan, Rickert spent two seasons as an assistant bowling coach at NAIA member Ottawa University (KS) and the previous four years serving as pro shop manager at Fusion Alley Pro Shop and Stryxx Pro Shop.

At Ottawa, Rickert helped the men’s team qualify for the NAIA national championship in 2021 and 2022 and appear in the NAIA Men’s Bowling Coaches Poll for the first time in program history. Both the men and women were NAIA scholar teams with the women holding the highest grade-point average of all athletic programs at Ottawa.

Rickert served in many roles as assistant at Ottawa, including recruiting, administration, eligibility, fundraising and practice planning and implementation.

Prior to Ottawa, Rickert began coaching at the high school level in 2012, leading the Traverse City West High School (Traverse City, MI) girls to six consecutive conference championships and an undefeated conference record over six seasons.

Rickert graduated from Taylor University (Upland, IN) in 1995 with a bachelor of science degree in secondary education (physical education). He holds pro shop certification through Powerhouse, Brunswick/Innovative, is a master technician with International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association, Inc. (IBPSIA) and is a Silver Level trained coach with USBC.