USF’s all-time winningest head coach will return to the home dugout for the 2021 season in addition to coaching Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics.
TAMPA, July 24, 2020 – Ken Eriksen will officially reassume his role as head coach of USF softball for the 2021 season, the program announced today. Eriksen went on leave for the 2020 season to serve as head coach of Team USA through the Stand Beside Her Tour and will still coach USA Softball at the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.
“First, I would like to express my appreciation to Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly and USF President Steve Currall for giving me the opportunity to pursue the necessary training time and the competitive tour schedule that Team USA needed in our pursuit of the gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo,” Eriksen said. “Pursuant to the tour being truncated, along with the entire sports world’s seasons going on at the time, the time commitment away from USF softball proved that we had great leadership with acting head coach Jess Moore and assistant coach Tommy Santiago. We did not miss a beat, as I was confident that USF softball was on its way to a back-to-back-to-back championship run. I am looking forward of balancing my full time commitment with USF and our training/touring with USA Softball in pursuit of the top step at the Olympics in Tokyo to be held in July of 2021. A big thank you also to USA Softball Executive Director Craig Cress for allowing the 2020-2021 trading plan to take place. Things like this don’t happen unless there is trust among different organizations.”
After looking at the time commitments required for the Stand Beside Her Tour last year, Eriksen took a leave of absence for the 2020 season. With a less-demanding Team USA touring environment in 2021, Eriksen will be able to handle both his USF and USA responsibilities concurrently.
“We’re excited that Ken will be returning to the Bulls’ dugout for the 2021 season and continue his role guiding the U.S. Olympic team,” Kelly said. “He has our full support as we pursue a fourth American Athletic Conference championship in softball and he continues the quest to win an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games. It is a tremendous opportunity for Ken and for USF to have him leading a U.S. Olympic Team and we are happy that the schedule required to do so this year will enable him the opportunity to coach games and develop tremendous student-athletes here at USF. I would like to thank Jessica Moore for her leadership in serving as acting head coach last season and we are thrilled that she continues to be a major part of our program.”
Eriksen resumes his quest of 1,000 career wins as USF’s head coach. He would be the 16th active NCAA Division I softball coach to complete the feat, and 25th all-time. The 1984 USF grad has tallied a 975-502-1 record by way of 16 seasons of over 40 wins, including six seasons with 50+ wins and a 60-win campaign in 2004.
The 23-year head coach currently ranks 18th in total wins among active DI softball coaches and 22nd in win percentage. Eriksen has coached the Bulls to 14 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Super Regionals in 2006 and a Women’s College World Series campaign in 2012. He has also led the team to seven conference titles, split between three conferences (two in Southern Atlantic Softball Alliance, two in the Big East, and three in The American).
Eriksen was named head coach of the U.S. Olympic Softball Team in May 2019 after being the leader of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2011. In addition to being the winningest coach in USF Athletics history, he is also one of the winningest in USA Softball history.
Eriksen guided Team USA to an undefeated run in the shortened Stand Beside Her Tour most recently, but has also led the team to an undefeated 20-0 run in the summer of 2018, including a championship run at the Women’s Softball Confederation World Championship, which earned the squad the first available Olympics berth. In 2019, Eriksen once again led the team to another championship, this time at the Pan American Games.
Eriksen will be joined in 2021 by assistant coaches Jessica Moore and Tommy Santiago. Moore assumed the interim head coach title in 2020, guiding the Bulls to a 16-9 record in a shortened season that including wins over No. 12 Tennessee, No. 15 Georgia, and No. 17 Texas Tech.
Moore will enter her sixth season and Santiago his third with South Florida in 2021. Moore was an assistant coach at Idaho State from 2013-2014 before joining Eriksen’s staff in 2016. She was an All-American pitcher at Oregon before her coaching career began, and played for Eriksen in the USA National Softball Team program until 2017. Santiago returned to USF last season, and has had stops at South Suburban Junior College, Florida State, St. John’s, Maryland, and Jacksonville in his 14-year coaching career.
About USF Softball
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 15 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
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