Pittsburg State names next head softball coach
Jun. 12—Jenny Fuller has been named the next head softball coach at Pittsburg State University, according to an announcement made by the athletics department on Friday.
Fuller arrives at PSU after serving as head coach at NCAA Division II Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In four seasons, she led the Wolves to an 85-80 overall record as well as a 23-20 mark this past spring. The 2020 campaign saw the Fuller-led NSU team open on a 10-game win streak and go 15-4 before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are excited to have Jenny join the Gorilla family and Pittsburg community as our head softball coach," PSU athletics director Jim Johnson stated in a press release. "She is an experienced collegiate head coach with a proven track record of success at the D2 level. Her playing and coaching career was a great fit for our softball program. Additionally, Jenny and her husband, Brad, are extremely excited to be a part of the Pittsburg community.
"Everyone we talked to had nothing but great things to say about Jenny and her coaching ability, her recruiting ability, the culture she builds as a leader and her focus on ensuring student-athletes have a great collegiate experience."
Fuller replaces former Gorillas head coach Ashley Balazs, who resigned in May after going 74-106 with the program in four seasons. The Gorillas finished 15-29 in the 2021 season.
Prior to her coaching stint at Northern State, Fuller serves as head coach at NAIA program Cardinal Stritch University for two years (2016-17). The team went 59-36 under her guidance.
Fuller is 144-116 in six seasons as a collegiate head coach.
"I am very honored to have been selected as the head softball coach at Pittsburg State University," Fuller said. "The facilities, administrative support and fan involvement at Pitt are unmatched in D2, and I am excited to begin working on developing our standard of excellence in the softball program. I would like to thank President Scott, Jim Johnson and the search committee for providing this opportunity to become part of Gorilla Nation."
Fuller began her collegiate coaching career at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, where she was an assistant coach and pitching coach for four seasons. She coached two first-team all-conference pitchers as well as six all-conference position players and a conference co-MVP.
Fuller helped McLennan advance to the NJCAA National Championships in 2011. In 2014, the team won the Region 5 North Conference Championship with a 46-8 record.
Before arriving at Cardinal Stritch, Fuller served as the assistant softball coach at NCAA Division III University of Texas at Dallas, where she coached four all-conference performers.
Fuller played softball for McLennan, where she was an All-American pitcher and a participant in the National Junior College World Series. She went on to pitch two years at Baylor and earned Academic Big 12 honors.
Following her college career, Fuller played one professional season with the Freezing Grizzlies in the German Bundeslegia League.
