Dan Rutan enters his fourth season as the pitching coach at Dakota State University, where he oversees the day-to-day development of the pitching staff while playing a key role in recruiting, game preparation, and overall program operations.
Rutan’s primary responsibilities include pitching and catching development, recruitment of pitchers and catchers, game-day preparation, NAIA Eligibility Center coordination, camp and showcase operations, summer collegiate league placement, and various other areas of program administration.
Impact at Dakota State
Since joining the Trojan coaching staff, Rutan has helped establish a pitching and catching development program that has produced professional players, individual conference award winners, All-Conference selections, and nationally ranked statistical performances.
2026
- Helped develop the Conference Freshman of the Year.
- Guided a catching staff that ranked second in the NAIA in Runners Caught Stealing percentage (.331).
2025
- Helped develop two pitchers and a catcher who signed professional contracts.
- The pitching staff ranked among the NAIA's Top 25 nationally in strikeouts per nine innings, runs allowed, and earned run average.
- Coached the NAIA National Pitcher of the Week.
- Coached the Conference Pitcher of the Year.
2024
- Helped develop a pitcher who signed a professional contract.
- Coached four All-Conference pitchers and one All-Conference catcher.
Rutan's approach to pitching development centers on individualized programming, current training practices, technology and data analysis. He combines objective information with individualized player development plans to help each pitcher understand what he needs to do to improve, compete, and maximize his potential.
Rutan is Driveline Baseball Foundation of Pitching and Pitch Design certified and Rapsodo pitching certified, while continuing to incorporate innovative training methods and technology into the development of Dakota State's pitching staff.
Oakland University (Mich.)
Prior to joining Dakota State, Rutan spent two seasons as the Director of Pitching Development at Oakland University (Mich.), an NCAA Division I program competing in the Horizon League.
During Rutan's tenure from 2022-23, Oakland produced two of the best seasons in program history during the program's NCAA Division I era. The Golden Grizzlies established a program record with 31 victories in 2022, followed by 29 wins in 2023.
During those two seasons, Rutan and the Oakland pitching staff contributed to notable victories over the University of Michigan, Wichita State University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Kansas, Wright State University, and Northern Kentucky University. Oakland narrowly missed earning the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament during Rutan's time on the coaching staff.
In 2023, Rutan played an integral role in the development of junior pitcher Brandon Decker and sophomore pitcher Hunter Pidek. Decker earned First Team All-Horizon League honors and was named Horizon League Reliever of the Year, while Pidek was selected Second Team All-Horizon League as a starting pitcher.
During the 2022 season, Rutan also assisted with the development of pitcher Jake Wosinski, who went on to sign with the Minnesota Twins.
Playing Career & Education
A native of Grove City, Ohio, Rutan enjoyed a successful prep career at Grove City High School before continuing his playing career at Oakland University from 2018-21 as an NCAA Division I pitcher.
Rutan served as a team captain during the 2020-21 season and was a four-year Horizon League Honor Roll selection. He also represented Oakland baseball on the university's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Gold Program.
Rutan earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a minor in Business Analytics from Oakland University and later completed his Master of Business Administration.
His combination of Division I playing experience, advanced pitching-development training, data-driven methodology and proven player development gives Rutan a unique perspective in helping Dakota State pitchers maximize their potential both on and off the field.
