Rardin, who has spent the past 20 seasons as the skipper at Iowa Western Community College while making 12 JUCO World Series appearances and winning three NJCAA Division I National Championships, became the 17th head coach for a WKU baseball program that began in 1910.

Rardin and the Reivers accumulated numerous notable accomplishments during his time at the helm. During his 20 seasons at Iowa Western, the program won 15 Regional Championships and 12 District Championships while making 12 JUCO College World Series appearances and earning three NJCAA D1 National Championships. Rardin compiled a remarkable 934-252 (.788) record over that span while averaging more than 46 wins per season, including a 452-69 (.868) conference/regional record and 122-43 (.739) record in postseason play. Over the past 20 years, no other Division I junior college baseball program has won more games or more postseason championships than Iowa Western.

That success has resulted in Rardin earning three National Coach of the Year honors, 10 District Coach of the Year awards and 12 Louisville Slugger Coach of the Year accolades. He was also a 2015 inductee into the NJCAA Hall of Fame.