Gophers hire Jamie Trachsel to coach softball, replacing Stanford-bound Jessica Allister

Duluth native Jamie Trachsel will be the next Gophers softball coach.

Trachsel comes to Minnesota from Iowa State, where she led the Cyclones for one season following six as co-head coach at North Dakota State. Jessica Allister, who coached the Gophers to its most successful season in program history this past school year, announced earlier this month she was accepting the Stanford job.

Trachsel's hiring will be official after a standard university background check is completed, the school announced Monday in its news release.

"Jamie is one of the country's premier young softball coaches and we're excited to bring her to Minnesota to lead our program and build on the success we've had in recent years," athletic director Mark Coyle said in the statement. "Jamie's leadership has consistently produced winning results. That track record, paired with her Midwestern roots and proven ability to develop the skills of her student-athletes throughout their collegiate careers, makes her the perfect fit for the Gophers."

Trachsel was a multisport athlete at Duluth Central — the U's release said she earned 17 varsity letters in high school, in four different sports — and played softball at St. Cloud State, earning all-region and all-academic honors.

Trachsel guided the Cyclones to a fifth-place finish in the Big 12 last season, one of their best finishes in years. NDSU had a 221-109 record, won its conference regular-season and tournament championship five times each and advanced to NCAA Regional play five times in the six years Trachsel was co-head coach.

"I could not be more humbled and honored to lead the Gophers softball program, and I want to thank Mark Coyle and search committee for this tremendous opportunity," Trachsel said. "While the decision to leave Iowa State was challenging, the opportunity that lies ahead at Minnesota to continue building a national powerhouse while returning to my home state is one that I could not pass up. The foundation that is in place is truly remarkable, and I look forward to meeting the team and helping these young women thrive as student-athletes. As a native of this great state, I have always admired how the University of Minnesota offers an athletic and academic experience that is second-to-none in the nation, and I am eager to work with our team and the University community to begin the next chapter of Gopher softball."