Nate Niehoff has many reasons to be boastful about his time at Indiana University East.

Nate Niehoff is a member of the Red Wolves basketball team. He graduates this May with a B.S. in Business Administration.

There’s men’s basketball, of course, where he was a national NAIA scholar-athlete, scored more than 1,000 points and was integral to an amazing career win total with the Red Wolves.

“The biggest thing in my four years was we won 110 basketball games,” Niehoff said. “Analysts say that 100 is fantastic. I’ll brag about that until the day I die.”

Senior teammate Aaron Thomas also shares that record with the 6-foot-7 Niehoff, who is from Glenwood, Indiana, and graduated from Rushville Consolidated High School.

He can brag about winning conference titles and making it to the national semifinals in the NAIA Tournament.

He and his teammates can also brag about losing just three games in three seasons on Lingle Court.

“It’s like a different atmosphere there,” Niehoff said. “It gets very loud in there (during games).”

It was a huge benefit to practice on Lingle Court rather than travel to other gyms in the area, which is what the Red Wolves had to do until the Student Events Center was built.

He also can brag about his post-basketball successes. He is immediately stepping into a full-time job after earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on finance. He will serve as a credit analyst at Citizens State Bank in New Castle.

Niehoff said he was helped by his instructors, his interactions on campus and his internship at First Bank Richmond.

“There is a lot of learning before getting into what I am doing,” he said.

He was well-known around campus after doing work-study with Campus Life and serving as an Admissions Ambassador, the Student Activities Advisory Team (SAAT) and the Student Athletics Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Niehoff comes from a family that has a strong legacy at IU East. It was simple for him to choose to attend here because it feels like family on campus and on the court.

He was strongly recruited by Coach Mark Hester.

“I had a really good connection with the coaching staff,” Niehoff says. “It wasn’t just that. Everyone felt so welcoming. It felt like a family walked me into their home.”

NAIA DII Mens Basketball National Championship, Keeter Gymnasium, Branson, Missouri, Brian Beard – Referee Photo

Niehoff is part of the Legacy Circle, an IU East Alumni Association program for alumni and students to recognize families for making an IU education part of their family tradition.

His older brother, Devon, played with the Red Wolves from 2008 to 2012. Other family members also attended IU East. His cousins, Keragan (Niehoff) Brown, was an honored player during the first three years of the Red Wolves’ women’s team, and Nick Frank, was a member of the tennis team.

Nate Niehoff says IU East offers a great opportunity for potential students from the Rushville area, which is about an hour’s drive to the southwest.

“You can save money by commuting. It’s far enough away, but also close enough if your car breaks down, your parents could come help you,” he said.

He’s thankful he got involved with Campus Life and the caring leadership of Director Rebeckah Hester and Assistant Director Amanda Vance. “They got me involved,” he said. “They were like a stepping stone for connections on campus.”

He plans to stay involved with IU East and expects big things from future Red Wolves teams.

“Obviously, I had a good connection with teammates. I will keep up with them. I’ll be involved with them,” he said. “I can definitely see a national championship sometime soon. We are just about over that hump.”

For Niehoff’s student-athlete profile or on the Red Wolves men’s basketball team, visit iueredwolves.com. For more information about IU East’s Commencement Ceremony, visit iue.edu/commencement.