Diane came to Bethel College in 1978 after having served as a physical education teacher, head volleyball and assistant basketball coach at Buhler High School to join the Thresher's as Head Volleyball Coach and a faculty member in the Physical Education Department. Her positive impact was seen almost immediately as her team won the KCAC Championship her first year. She would go on to lead the Threshers to 8 KCAC titles.
Diane's 1981 Bethel team was one of the best ever to compete for the Threshers, winning the 1981 KCAC Championship with a 16-0 conference record, earning national recognition as a Top 10 team in overall Division II rankings, winning the NAIA District 10 Tournament and placing third at the NAIA National Volleyball Tournament in Athens, W.Va.
Over her career, Diane's Thresher volleyball teams compiled a 400-147 overall record and a 169-21 KCAC record during her 11 years as coach including winning eight of 11 KCAC Championships. Bethel College volleyball still holds the 4th longest conference all-time winning streak in the nation with 66 consecutive conference wins.
Diane became Bethel's Athletics Director in 1990. As athletics director, Diane was instrumental in developing and implementing Bethel's Champions of Character program for student-athletes, overseeing the Thresher Stadium project, the Goering Hall renovation project and the Ward Tennis Center and was honored numerous times as NAIA District 10 and KCAC Athletic Director of the Year.
Besides coaching volleyball and serving as athletics director, Diane was a member of the Bethel College faculty, associate professor and chairperson of the Health and Physical Education.
Diane left the athletic director position in 2011 and remained serving Bethel College and its students as a faculty member and HPE Chair until this past July when Diane Flickner retired, after 35 years of coaching, teaching and administration.
