WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 – Tiley Nunnink’s journey has whisked him across the United States, to the other side of the globe, to the Des Moines Menace’s sideline, to Texas, and back to the Menace as the organization’s new leader.

Nunnink started as the Menace’s general manager on Monday. He brings a soccer background along with leadership experience from 23 years in the United States Marine Corps.

In 2017, Nunnink was an assistant coach for the Menace, working with recently departed head coach John Pascarella.

Shortly after the team’s Premier Development League Playoff run ended in late July, Nunnink joined San Antonio FC as the professional team’s soccer operations manager. SAFC – the team that defeated the home-side Menace in the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – advanced to the quarterfinals of the United Soccer League Playoffs.

In his former life, Nunnink rose through the Marine Corps’ ranks in a military career that began in 1993 and included extensive travels around the world, with extended stays in Japan and the United Kingdom. In his last duty, the Kansas City native represented his country as a Marine Attaché at the United States Embassy in London.

Upon his selection to the rank of colonel, Nunnink retired in 2016, when he stepped back into the soccer world.

A former collegiate player (at Cal State Bakersfield), Nunnink was an assistant coach for the San Jose State men’s program in 2016.

“I was fortunate enough to serve my country alongside my fellow Marines, and now I’m fortunate enough to be chasing my passion for soccer,” Nunnink said. “It’s great to be back here. I’m a big fan of Des Moines and the Menace. I love being part of an organization like the Menace that is so well-respected in the U.S. soccer community. We have the ambition to do bigger things to grow soccer in central Iowa, and I’m excited to be part of it.”

Nunnink succeeds Matt Homonoff, who was the Menace’s GM from November 2012 until last October.

“I’m thankful for everything Matt’s done for the Menace, and I am looking forward to building on the organization’s success as we celebrate our 25th season,” Nunnink said.

As Nunnink leads the Menace into this anniversary season, he is looking to hire the team’s next head coach, as well as a sales and marketing manager who will join the front-office team.

“We are happy to welcome Tiley back to our organization,” said Menace owner Kyle Krause. “Tiley joins us at an exciting time for the Des Moines Menace, and I am confident in his ability to lead the way and to get us where we want to be.”

Tiley Nunnink
Wife: Kristi (married Aug. 28, 1993)
Children: Son Beck (20) and daughter Tate (16)
Education: California State University, Bakersfield (B.A. in criminal justice, 1994); United States Marine Corps Command & Staff College (M.A. in military studies, 2008)