ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. --- Crown College Athletics is announcing several additions to the department as Storm Athletics enters a new era pursuing excellence on and off the field. There are four staffing changes at this time, with more coming soon. Current staff members Luke Herbert and Katie Carter will take elevated roles as Crown promotes Herbert to Director of Athletics and Carter to Head Women's Soccer Coach. The Storm are also excited to announce Leah Szabla as their new Head Women's Basketball Coach and Thomás Pazo as their new Head Men's Soccer Coach.
Under the incoming leadership, Crown College Athletics has added a new mission statement: Crown College aims to provide premier athletic programs and experiences. The Department of Athletics is committed to graduating champions and leaders in faith, in the classroom, in the community, and in competition.
Head Men's Basketball Coach Luke Herbert will take over as Director of Athletics while maintaining his role as Head Coach for Storm Basketball. He will be moving on from his role as Head Men's Soccer Coach, and Crown will be hiring a new staff member for that position. Herbert brings exceptional leadership and wisdom to the role after serving Crown College for the past eleven years, leading multiple programs to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Playoffs, and being named the UMAC Coach of the Year after the 2013-14 basketball campaign. In addition to coaching both Men's Soccer and Men's Basketball, Herbert has served as the institution's Sports Information Director and Assistant Athletic Director for Communication. Herbert will now report to Vice President of College Relations, Travis Whipple.
Katie Carter will lead Crown's Women's Soccer program after serving as Crown's Graduate Assistant Coach for the past two seasons and gaining notoriety as a prominent club coach in the West Metro. Before that, Carter was a three-time All-Conference player for the Storm, scoring 13 goals in her collegiate career as a midfielder. Carter has served as the primary recruiter for the program the past two seasons and is excited to continue her relationships with her student-athletes.
Leah Szabla will head the Crown College Women's Basketball program, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. Szabla was a two-time captain and 1,000-point scorer for the University of North Dakota during an impressive playing career at the NCAA Division I level, and earned the UND Athletics Unsung Hero award her junior season. As well as individual success, her teams also had considerable achievement, including winning the 2014 Big Sky Championship. After her playing career, Szabla earned her Master's degree while serving as a graduate assistant coach at Black Hills State University and then served as a full-time assistant at Wayne State College, both NCAA Division II schools. Wanting to be closer to family in the Twin Cities, Szabla joined the North Central Rams as an assistant last season and was the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Services. During her first season with North Central, the team went on to win the first UMAC Championship in NCU Women's Basketball history.
Thomás Pazo has been tabbed the next Head Men's Soccer Coach, replacing Herbert. Pazo brings the international nature of soccer to life as he has been educated across the globe, with coaching certificates from the United States Soccer Federation, the English Football Association, and the Brazilian Football Confederation. The Rio de Janeiro native grew up with soccer in his everyday life, embracing the incredible Brazilian soccer culture from a young age. He had an opportunity to come to the United States for a collegiate soccer career, beginning with UW-Superior before transferring to Shorter University, an NCAA Division II school in Georgia. While in Georgia, he served as a club coach and then continued at the club level in California before rejoining the collegiate ranks. He served as an assistant coach from 2017-2020 with the Union College Bulldogs, an NAIA university in Kentucky. During that time, Pazo completed his Master's degree in health and physical education.
The Storm have entered aggressive coaching searches for a new Head Football and Head Softball Coach. Crown Athletics will announce these hires as soon as possible. Concerning Football, Defensive Coordinator Eric Shourds will be facilitating the transition and has agreed to provide leadership for the program during this process. Crown College is committed to all three programs and is excited about the future of the Athletic Department.
