On Monday, May 4, Olivet Nazarene University Athletic Director Justin Glenn announced the hiring of Kyle Hastings as the head coach for the first women’s flag football team for its 2027 inaugural season.
Hastings’ return to Olivet comes full circle as he arrives back to his roots with Tiger Athletics after his days as a student athlete on the ONU football team in the late 1990’s, and time spent as an assistant coach after the conclusion of his playing career.
“I am honored to be selected as Olivet Nazarene University’s first women’s flag football head coach for the 2027 inaugural season,” says Hastings. “The introduction of one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. to the rich tradition and success of ONU will expand more opportunity to develop Christian student athletes for years to come.”
Hastings has a robust background of football experiences including building a post-graduate football program from concept to fruition; developing a youth coed flag football program in the Chicagoland suburbs; officiating in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Collegiate Athletic Association—Division 3, and the National Junior College Athletic Association; and serving as an assistant coach at Victor J. Andrew High School where he contributed to offseason development and nutrition. Now, Hastings will bring these experiences to Olivet where he will be responsible for establishing a new program and preparing the team for its first competitions in 2027.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kyle Hastings as our first women’s flag football head coach,” Glenn says. “He brings a deep love for Olivet, knowledge and passion for the growing sport, and a clear vision for building a competitive program that is rooted in spiritual growth and academic excellence.”
The ONU women’s flag football program joins more than 35 other NAIA institutions which sponsor the sport as it continues to grow towards championship status. Hastings will hit the ground running with recruiting, developing a schedule, and laying the foundation of a program eager to compete at the national level in one of the nation’s fasting growing collegiate sports.
We welcome Coach Hastings, his wife Sara ’05/’17 MAE, and their children, Maggie, Kyle and Bree to the Olivet community.
For more information about ONU Athletics, visit ONUTigers.com.
