HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – One of the best to ever do it in school history is remaining home as vice president and director of athletics Christina Roybal and Northern Kentucky Athletics are excited to announce a contract extension for head baseball coach Dizzy Peyton, made official on Tuesday.

The deal adds four more years for the homegrown talent and will keep Peyton in the black and gold through at least the 2028 campaign.

Peyton, who was named head coach of the Norse in June 2021 after 17 seasons an as assistant with the program, is fresh off back-to-back record-setting seasons for NKU. The South Lebanon, Ohio native and former NKU student-athlete was named the 2024 Horizon League Coach of the Year after he guided the Norse to the school's first Horizon League Tournament Championship and NCAA Regional berth in program history.

"I first want to say thank you to our athletics director, Christina Roybal and President of the University, Dr. Cady Short-Thompson for the opportunity to continue to serve as the head baseball coach at NKU," said Peyton, who will enter his fourth season at the helm of the program in 2025. "Spending the last 20 plus years here, NKU has shaped me into the man I am today and I am honored to help positively shape the lives of these young men who come through our program. We will continue to grow the NKU baseball family and build upon the foundation that we have worked so hard to create. It has been a blessing to see the growth of our program and to bring the pride and excitement back to Northern Kentucky baseball. I hope our alumni and supporters both near and far know how much of an impact they make on our program and help to bring our vision of NKU baseball to light."

"This historic season, one we will always remember, is a testament to the incredible job Coach Peyton has done in creating a culture of developing student-athletes on the field, in the classroom, and in the community," said vice president and director of athletics Christina Roybal. "His ability to bring together and inspire student-athletes is impressive, and his passion for NKU is infectious. We are fortunate to have Dizzy leading our program for many years to come."
 

Northern Kentucky went on a storybook run in 2024 as the Norse set the NCAA Division I record with 35 victories overall on their way to the conference championship and NCAA Tournament. The season included an eye-popping mark of 18-5 at home and the program's first ever series victory over a Power 5 opponent with a road series win over Missouri in early March.
The record-breaking year came off a stellar 2023 campaign in which the Norse posted 30 wins overall, then a NKU NCAA DI record. To go with the team success, NKU has also had the last two Horizon League Players of the Year in Liam McFadden-Ackman (2024) and Noah Fisher (2023).

With Peyton at the helm, 19 Norse student-athletes have garnered All-Horizon League honors, to go with numerous regional and academic awards. Over his first three years at the helm, the Norse have racked up 84 wins, one of its most successful three-year runs in school history.

NKU finished this most recent year ranked first in all of NCAA Division I baseball in triples (33), fifth in scoring (9.2 runs per game) and fifth in on-base percentage (.430), eighth in runs (545), 10th in batting average (.315), 11th in base on balls (359) and stolen bases (128), 16th in slugging percentage (.538), 17th in hits (644), 27th in doubles (128) and 55th in home runs (88).

During his time as an assistant coach with the Norse, Peyton was on staff for six regional bids to the NCAA Division II Tournament, which included a pair of GLVC titles in 2008 and 2009. Following NKU's transition to NCAA Division I, Peyton helped the Norse to a third-place finish in the Horizon League and the program's first postseason win of the DI era in the Horizon League Tournament in 2017.

In addition to continued success on the field, Peyton has shown incredible leadership throughout Norse Athletics, the University, and the region. NKU baseball received the 2018 Horizon League Bobby Fong Award, presented annually to the person or team that displayed integrity, respect, and stewardship. Norse baseball annually volunteers at the Buddy Walk hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati, an effort organized by Peyton. NKU baseball is known for its inclusive environment as well as its on-field success, evident in Peyton's long-standing friendship with team manager Ryan "Mav" Mavriplis, who has Down Syndrome.

Peyton's leadership has extended into the classroom as well, with the NKU baseball program posting a team GPA of 3.0 or higher in each of the last seven years.

"There is no place like home, and NKU is home for me," said Peyton.

Peyton currently resides in Highland Heights with his wife, Amanda, and their three children, Dirk, Wesley, and Trudy.


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