Tanner Neale joined the North Dakota State baseball staff as a volunteer assistant coach in August 2020 before to being elevated to an assistant coach in July 2021.
In 2025, Neale guided the Bison through the No. 1 non-conference schedule in the nation on their way to their third Summit League Tournament championship in program history. NDSU went on to make its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history in the Fayetteville Regional. Neale assisted in the development of seven All-Summit League selections,  including Jake Schaffner, who became the first player in program history to be named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.
In his second season in 2022, Neale helped lead NDSU to its first Summit League regular season title in program history after assembling a 30-17 (17-5 Summit) overall record. The Bison began the season playing each of their first 37 games on the road and were the last Division I team to play a home game. Offensively, NDSU set a program record for stolen bases in a single-season with 87. The Bison also connected on 50 home runs, which ranked second in the Summit League and fifth in NDSU history. He also assisted in the development of eight All-Summit League selections.
In his first season at NDSU, Neale helped guide the Bison to a school record 42-19 overall record, Summit League Tournament title and the first NCAA Regional game victory in the school's Division I era in 2021.
Prior to coming to NDSU, Neale spent the 2020 season as an assistant coach at NCAA Division III Luther College. The 2020 campaign was the second stint with the Norse for Neale, as he also served as an assistant during the 2016 season. During the 2016 season, Luther won the Iowa Conference Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Regionals.
In between stints at Luther, Neale spent three seasons at Upper Iowa. The Watertown, S.D. native was a graduate assistant in 2017 and 2018 before moving into a full-time role in 2019.
Neale graduated from Southwest Minnesota State with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. As a catcher, he ranks with first in school history with a .997 career fielding percentage, committing only two errors in his four year career from 2012-15.
Neale signed and played professionally with the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association in 2016.
Charting Neale's Coaching Path
 Seasons |
 School |
 Position |
 2016 |
 Luther College |
 Assistant |
 2017-18 |
 Upper Iowa |
 Graduate Assistant |
 2019 |
 Upper Iowa |
 Assistant |
 2020 |
 Luther College |
 Assistant |
 2021 |
 North Dakota State |
 Volunteer Assistant |
 2022-Current |
 North Dakota State |
 Assistant |