The 2017 season will be Noren's seventh as head coach of the Saint Martin's University softball team. He has compiled a record of 587-271-2 in 19 years as a head coach at the NCAA Division II and III level.
Noren has coached the Saints to two NCAA Tournament appearances (2013, 2015). He was named GNAC Coach of the Year both years as well as in 2012. SMU won the GNAC regular season and conference tournament titles during the 2013 season and won the regular season title in 2015.
SMU earned the seventh-seed in the NCAA Division II West Region tournament, which was the second NCAA Tournament berth in program history. The first came in 2013 when the Saints were the fifth seed. In 2013, the Saints went on to win two games in the regional tournament, defeating Grand Canyon twice, becoming the first team at Saint Martin's history to win an NCAA Tournament game.
Noren was selected as GNAC Coach of the Year for three times (2012, 2013, 2015). He coached Lacey McGladrey, who became the program's first All-American earning first team honors from the NFCA and second team honors from Daktonics. She was also named GNAC Player of the Year and Sam Munger who was selected as the GNAC Pitcher of the Year while earning second team all-region honors in 2013. In 2015, Munger was named GNAC Pitcher of the Year and Co-Player of the Year. She and Dani Wall were named to the Daktronics second team West Regional.
The Saints have excelled in the classroom under Noren as well having won their fifth-straight GNAC Academic Team championship (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). Taylor Bakos and Aubree Pocklington became the first SMU softball players to earn Capital One / CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in 2013. In 2015, Alyssa Slate, Dani Wall and Taviah Jenkins were named to the Capital One Academic All-District team.
Noren took over the program in 2011 and in his second-season recorded the biggest turnaround in NCAA DII in 2012. SMU won nine games in 2011 and went on to post a record of 33-18 for an 18-game improvement which is tied for the seventh-biggest turnaround in NCAA Division II softball history.
Prior to his arrival at SMU he compiled a record of 402-145-1 record in his 14 seasons as the head coach at Pacific Lutheran University. He led PLU to eight appearances at the national tournament at the Division III and NAIA level.
The Lutes advanced to the 2002 NCAA Division III College World Series and finished fourth. In NAIA national tournament competition, Noren’s 1996 PLU team placed fifth and his 1997 squad finished third. The 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 teams advanced to the NCAA Division III national tournament.
Noren guided his teams to eight Northwest Conference championships. The 1999 Lutes tied a school single-season record for wins, finishing 39-6, and the 2002 team that finished 36-2 ended the season with the highest winning percentage in NCAA Division III (.947), the highest team fielding percentage, and the lowest team earned run average. The 2003 squad again finished with the highest winning percentage in Division III and was listed among the national leaders in several other categories.
In addition to his coaching duties at Pacific Lutheran, Noren taught physical education classes, coordinated student workers in the Athletic Department, and served as the Athletic Facilities Director.
Before his arrival at Pacific Lutheran in the fall of 1994, Noren was an assistant coach for the University of Washington in 1994 when the Huskies reached NCAA postseason competition for the first time.
Noren attended Pacific Lutheran University for one year prior to receiving his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Western Washington University in 1987. He earned his master’s degree in Athletic Administration from PLU in 1996.
Rick, his wife, Leanne, and their children Kyle, Joel and Leah, reside in University Place.
