Doug Brinker enters his 16th year with Grand View baseball and his fourth as the program's Head Coach.
Brinker has worked as the Assistant Coach under long-time Hall of Fame Head Coach Lou Yacinich for 12 seasons. In Brinker's first 3 years as the Vikings head coach, he led the team to their first-ever Heart of America Conference Tournament Championship (2023), first-ever Heart of America Conference Champions (2025), and first-ever 1st Round of the National Championship winner (2025) in the Upland, Indiana bracket. The Vikings also played in the 2025 NAIA College World Series in Lewiston, ID, which was the 1st time for Grand View University since 1991. Coach Brinker has compiled a 96-49 record as the head coach at Grand View Uniersity.
Coach Brinker has earned many numerous awards in his short stint as the Vikings head coach. Was named the Iowa 4-year College Coach of the Year in 2023, Heart of America Coach of the Year in 2025, the ABCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2025, and a final candidate for the NAIA National Coach of Year in 2025.
Along with 16 years at Grand View, Brinker has experience at the high school level. He coached at Des Moines North High School from 2000 to 2006 and was the activities director from 2005 to 2010.
As an athlete, Brinker had much success. He was a former Junior College All-American at Iowa Central Community College in 1996, a two-time NAIA All-American in 1998 and 1999, and Player of the Year in the Midwest Collegiate Conference in 1998.
Brinker is also a Hall of Fame inductee at Grand View University (2019) and White Bear Lake High School (2009).
He resides in Johnston, Iowa with his wife, Amy, and children Jackson and Madison.
