Marty Sutherland

There are few roles more important than that of coach. Part mentor, part cheerleader, part teacher part disciplinarian, and sometimes even part father or mother figure. This week's Moonlighter fits those descriptors to a T. Marty Sutherland has spent most of his life in sports and played a prominent role in the lives of countless young men. Marty Sutherland checks all of the boxes of a prototypical Moonlighter. He is from smalltown Iowa, he played juco baseball, and he even sold insurance for a little bit. He is now the associate head coach of the University of Iowa baseball team. The first time Tim and Marty met was in a smalltown baseball tournament when Sutherland ripped a double off of the Moonlight Ace. They crossed paths again a few months later when the Cascade native was one of Tim's coaches at the Universtiy of Northern Iowa under Rick Heller. Since their days in purple and gold, Sutherland has stuck with Heller and is now at the University of Iowa. Marty Sutherland is one of the smartest baseball guys around. It is incredible to see the success the Iowa baseball program has had since the arrival of Heller, Sutherland, and the rest of the staff. As a coach, Marty Sutherland's fingerprints are all over that dugout. Few are able to help influence and develop young players the way that Sutherland has been able to. Even just watching the Hawkeyes play, a sharp eye can identify the impact that he has hadMany of us former athletes can think back to a coach who played a key role in our sports life. It might be because of how they built us up when we were down, changed our approach, or how they got after us when we needed it most. Marty Sutherland has been that influence on hundreds of young men and has played a vital role in the turnaround of the most prominent college program in Iowa.