​The Curtis High School baseball program has found its next varsity coach right from within its own dugout, as Nate Angelo steps into the helm after serving as an assistant to Bryan Robinson for 12 years. The school announced this week that Angelo will take over the Vikings, following Robinson’s 14-year tenure, which concluded after the 2026 season so he could devote more time to his two daughters, as he shared with The News Tribune.
“Feels the same, I’ve been around Curtis for so long,” Angelo said during a phone interview with The News Tribune on Friday afternoon. A 1998 Curtis High School graduate, Angelo first wore a Curtis uniform as a player before pursuing two seasons of Division III college baseball. He spent one season at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia (formerly Mary Washington College) and returned home to play his sophomore year at the University of Puget Sound. His baseball journey then led him to Texas Christian University, where he walked on to the baseball team while his wife, Jenny Swanson (now Jenny Angelo), pursued a soccer scholarship.
Their family has deep roots in the Curtis community. Their oldest son, Riley, graduated from Curtis this spring and earned 4A SPSL all-league and TNT All-Area first-team honors after hitting .435 with six doubles and a home run in the spring, helping Curtis reach the state tournament. Their middle son, Levi, participates in Curtis sports, playing soccer and football, while their youngest, Gannon, played on the varsity baseball team as a freshman last spring. “We put them in everything,” Angelo noted. “Jenny and I wanted them to find their passion and learn to work hard. We believe sports have taught us as much as life. It’s just worked out. It’s so fun to watch them come into their own.”
Beyond his family duties, Angelo works in wealth management and has spent recent years coaching a national travel team with New Level in Puyallup. He brings a clear vision for Curtis baseball: fast-paced practices, disciplined effort, and a focus on deliberate development, with ample small-group opportunities, repetitive drills, and dynamic drills that involve multiple balls and directions to sharpen players’ instincts.
“I want practice to be fast, intense, competitive, and enjoyable,” Angelo said. “If we double down on discipline, maintain intentionality, and create fast-paced practice environments, we’ll be able to compete at a high level.” He emphasized that the goal is to provide “a lot of reps, multiple balls moving in multiple directions, and attention in small groups,” all designed to slow the game down when players step onto the field during competition.
Curtis’s 2023-24 season culminated in a 17-9 record, highlighted by a quarterfinal berth in the Class 4A state tournament after a first-round upset of West Valley of Yakima. The program’s leadership transition to Angelo positions the Vikings to build on that momentum, leveraging his long tenure within the program, his local ties, and his practical coaching philosophy to cultivate a culture of competitiveness, growth, and enjoyment.
Angelo’s approach centers on maintaining Curtis’s strengths while infusing a modern, fast-paced practice style that maximizes player engagement and development. With his background as a Curtis alumnus, a family deeply connected to the school, and his experience coaching at the travel level, Angelo aims to guide Curtis to continued success while keeping the program aligned with the values that have defined it for years. The Vikings’ leaders are optimistic about a seamless transition that preserves the program’s identity while elevating its competitive edge for the upcoming seasons.