Whannel joined the Coe coaching staff in the fall of 2009.  With six years of coaching at the NAIA and Junior College ranks before coming to Coe, Whannel returns to NCAA Division III baseball for the first time since graduating from Wartburg College in 2003. 

Whannel was a four-year starter at shortstop for the Knights.  Whannel led the Iowa Conference with a .435 batting average his senior year, while earning First Team All-Iowa Conference honors.  He was also an ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region First Team selection.

Following graduation, he went on to play for the Pensacola Pelicans and the Schaumburg Flyers of Independent Professional Baseball Leagues. 

A 1998 graduate of North Tama High School, he holds the Iowa High School Athletic Association record with a .678 batting average his senior year.

Whannel currently resides in Cedar Rapids and works for Whannel's Hardware, where he manages their U.S.Cellular stores.