Gerry Lobdell has served as head coach of the Spring Arbor University men’s and women’s bowling programs since January 2019.
Under Lobdell’s leadership, the Cougars have earned conference championships and national tournament berths, highlighted by the women’s program’s first NAIA national championship in 2025.
Spring Arbor captured the 2025 Red Banner with a seven-game victory over Concordia in the deciding championship match. The Cougars won the final two games, closing with a 268-180 victory to secure the title. Kayla Tafanelli earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors and joined teammate Devon Thomas on the NAIA All-Tournament Team.
The women’s program has also established sustained success in the Crossroads League, winning five consecutive regular season championships from 2021-22 through 2025-26 and making five straight NAIA National Championship appearances. In 2025-26, SAU swept all four league regular season events for the first time in program history.
In 2024, Lobdell and his staff guided both teams to their first Crossroads League Tournament championships, with the Cougars sweeping the men’s and women’s titles at JAX 60 in Jackson.
The men’s program earned NAIA National Championship berths in 2023 and 2026 and reached another milestone in 2026 by qualifying for the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships for the first time. Connor Rogus and Ryan Wenman also became SAU’s first individual qualifiers for the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships that season.
Lobdell served as an assistant coach at Spring Arbor for two years before taking over as head coach. A Jackson, Michigan native, he brings more than three decades of experience in the sport, including an extensive coaching career at Northwest High School. He led Northwest’s boys to the school’s first MHSAA Division 2 state championship in 2020.
In 2025, Lobdell was inducted into the Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in recognition of his service to his program, high school bowling and the sport.
Lobdell holds United States Bowling Congress Bronze certification. He earned his associate’s degree from Jackson College and his bachelor’s degree from Spring Arbor University.
Lobdell and his wife, Lynsay, reside in Jackson with their three sons, Jaxon, Jacoby and Jadon.
