Kent State Promotes Eric Oakley to Lead Softball Program
6/20/2016 4:51:00 PM | Softball
KENT, Ohio – Kent State University Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen announced Monday (June 20) that Eric Oakley has been hired as head softball coach, removing the interim designation. Oakley, who was named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, led the Golden Flashes to their sixth regular season conference championship this past season. He becomes the sixth head coach in Kent State softball history.
"Eric Oakley did a terrific job of leading the Kent State softball program through difficult circumstances this past year," Nielsen said. "The individual accolades and team accomplishments from the season speak for themselves. The student-athletes thrived under his direction and coaching style, and it was clear as the season progressed that he was the right person to lead this program going forward. We are eager for Eric to continue our softball program's legacy of success on the field, in the classroom and in the community."
Oakley joined the Kent State coaching staff in July 2014 and served as pitching coach during the 2015 season prior to being named interim head coach on August 29. During his two seasons on staff, he helped guide the Flashes to back-to-back MAC regular season titles for the second time in the past decade and 78 total victories, which is the winningest two-year span in program history.
"I want to thank President (Beverly) Warren, Joel Nielsen and Janet Kittell for this opportunity, their trust and their continued support of Kent State softball," Oakley said. "The huge success of this athletics department is a direct reflection of their leadership. Both of my assistant coaches, Stephanie Zimny and Kyle Gross, did a great job of hitting the ground running in the Fall and were crucial in the team's success this past season. While they may not have been recognized for their individual accomplishments, the senior class of 2016 provided invaluable leadership for this program, which was a huge part of our success. I am excited to continue to be part of the Kent State family and blessed to work with a wonderful group of women as we strive to continue to meet the high standards that have been set by previous teams and compete on the national stage."
Since Oakley arrived at Kent State, the Flashes' on-field recognition includes five NFCA All-Mideast Region selections and seven All-MAC honorees. The diligent work by his student-athletes in the classroom during this time has resulted in 23 Academic All-MAC honorees. The Flashes posted the nation's 10th-best GPA during the 2014-15 academic year with a 3.513 mark.
Despite being picked to finish third in the MAC East Division by the conference's 12 head coaches and being tasked with replacing a two-time MAC Pitcher of the Year in the circle and a pair of four-year starters in the outfield, Oakley guided Kent State to the fourth-most wins in program history with a 37-22 record and a 16-7 mark in league play to repeat as conference champions. The Flashes defeated eight teams that played in the 2016 NCAA Division I Softball Championship, including Top 50 RPI teams Ohio State, Northwestern and Louisville.
An emphasis on improving offensive output heading into the 2016 season resulted in single-season records for at-bats (1,537), hits (408), RBIs (238) and walks (183) in addition to coming within two runs of the record 270 scored in 2011.
Individually, Maddy Grimm became the single-season recordholder for runs (51) and total bases (124) while coming within one of tying records with 18 home runs and 35 walks. Arika Roush was hit by a pitch a MAC-record 26 times and Holly Speers set a NCAA Division I record by hitting a home run in five consecutive at-bats.
As pitching coach in 2015, Oakley mentored a staff that recorded a remarkable 1.55 earned run average, which ranked third in the country, and shutout a Michigan squad that finished as Women's College World Series runner-up and averaged just under eight runs per game. Ace Emma Johnson earned MAC Pitcher of the Year honors for the second time and ranked among the top 5 in the nation in ERA (3rd), hits allowed per seven inning (3rd), strikeouts per seven innings (5th) and shutouts (5th).
Prior to Kent State, Oakley spent three seasons as the head coach at North Dakota, as the program transitioned to NCAA Division I. He earned 34 victories and had a total of 16 student-athletes earn all-conference honors, including 9 in the program's first two years as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
Oakley got his collegiate coaching start in the MAC as a member of Eastern Michigan's coaching staff for five seasons (2007-11), which included interim head coaching duties for the 2010 season in which led the Eagles to a 19-30-1 record. He served several roles during his tenure at EMU, including assistant hitting coach, pitching and catching coach and recruiting coordinator. In his first season on staff, he helped guide the Eagles to a historic season in which they captured their first NCAA Regional appearance, MAC Tournament title and MAC West Division title in program history. During his final season in Ypsilanti, EMU posted its second-highest winning percentage all-time (.591), largely due to the Oakley's work with the team's pitchers. Eastern Michigan's team ERA dipped to 3.04 from 4.57 the previous season, and Eagles pitchers garnered MAC West Pitcher of the Week honors on five occasions.
A 2001 graduate of Eastern Michigan, Oakley began his coaching career at the high school level prior to returning to his alma mater. He also headed the Motor City Madness Elite Travel Softball program from 1999-2004. His 18U squad placed third at the 2001 Triple Crown World Series and was the only qualifier located east of the Mississippi River.
