FAYETTE, Iowa - Ethan Horner joined the Upper Iowa Athletics staff as an Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning, Vice President of Athletics Rick Hartzell announced. Horner joins the Peacocks after serving as a Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Grand View University in Des Moines. 

"Ethan comes very highly recommended from everyone he worked with at Grand View," Hartzell said. "He was very impressive when we talked with him about our position, and I am thrilled he has decided to join us with the Peacocks. I feel strongly that he will relate to our student-athletes and bring knowledge and passion to this position. We are excited to have Ethan with us." 

During his time at Grand View, Horner led and programmed training sessions for women's volleyball, women's wrestling and track and field. He also assisted in training every sports team, including helping with gameday warmups for the 2025 NAIA National Championship football team. 

"I want to thank all of the people I have had the opportunity to work under to get where I want to be," Horner said. "Coach Trevor Dickherber at Grand View was a big help letting me get in there and learn. I appreciate the trust and responsibility he gave me by letting me coach."

The sports that Horner directly worked with also found great success. The Grand View women's volleyball team went 28-5 last season and won the Heart of America Conference regular season championship. Women's wrestling placed third at the NAIA National Championships with eight All-Americans last season while women's track and field had two All-Americans. 

After working in a similar environment at Grand View, Horner feels well-equipped to continue developing athletes at Upper Iowa.

"I have a good understanding of what it takes to work with a large number of athletes in the space that we have here," Horner said. "That's really going to help in organizing how we use our space and not be overwhelmed."

Before his time at Grand View, Horner was a Strength and Conditioning Intern with the Iowa Hawkeye football program. Through his experiences and the connections he built along the way, he knew Upper Iowa was the right fit. 

"I have connections with people who have been here before, and I've heard really great things about the school," Horner said. "Coaching is all about building strong relationships, surrounding yourself with good people, and making a positive impact by helping athletes and peers grow. From everything I've heard, Upper Iowa is a great spot to do that."

Horner hopes to build an environment where every UIU athlete is challenged to grow both in the weight room and beyond.

"I hope everybody who comes in here knows that there's something to be accomplished that will benefit them not only as an athlete, but also as a person," Horner said. "I want to challenge our athletes to do things they haven't done before and be intentional with every rep, every stretch and everything that they do to get better. When you're intentional in paying attention to the details, that's where the growth happens."

He will begin his role immediately, working with the Peacock volleyball and women's soccer programs for this upcoming fall season.