Petrie Promoted to Softball Associate Head Coach
4/8/2025 9:01:00 AM | Softball
KENT, Ohio — Elysse Petrie has been promoted to associate head coach, Kent State softball head coach Jessica O'Donnell announced. Petrie works with the pitching staff and is in her second season with the Golden Flashes, and fourth season overall working with O'Donnell.
"I am proud to promote Coach P to Associate Head Softball Coach," O'Donnell said. "She has played an integral part of our team's success over the last several years and through the transition of taking over the program here at Kent State. I believe in what she teaches, and she has proven time and time again that she is all in on helping our student-athletes grow on and off the field. What an honor it is for me to have someone of her caliber on my staff here at Kent State."
During her first season at Kent State in 2024, Petrie mentored a youthful group of pitchers that lowered the team ERA by more than a full run from the previous season. The Flashes had pitchers finish second in the Mid-American Conference in both victories and ERA. The team had multiple student-athletes earn MAC Pitcher of the Week honors in the same season for the first time since 2015.
Petrie spent the two previous seasons on O'Donnell staff at Saint Francis (Pa.). The Red Flash captured Northeast Conference regular season championships during both of her years in Loretto as well as a conference tournament title and NCAA Regional appearance in 2022.
Saint Francis' pitching staff ranked in the top-20 nationally in ERA (2.12) and shutouts (13) during her first season and followed with a single-season program record 343 strikeouts. Overall, Red Flash hurlers totaled three NFCA All-Great Lakes Region and four All-NEC First Team honors under Petrie's tutelage. Rachel Marsden was named NEC Pitcher of the Year in 2022 and Grace Vesco earned NEC Tournament MVP that same season.
Petrie began her coaching career as a graduate assistant for two seasons at the University of Indianapolis, where she was part of the 2021 NFCA Division II Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year. The Greyhounds won more than 80 percent of their games during those two years. Indianapolis captured Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships in 2021 on its way to an appearance in the NCAA DII Midwest Regional final. The Greyhounds' 25-game winning streak was the longest in Division II that season. Petrie worked with the pitching staff and helped Kenzee Smith earn 2021 NFCA Division II National Freshman of the Year honors. Smith was also a NFCA First Team All-American and was named a finalist for NFCA Division II Pitcher of the Year.
Petrie is a 2017 graduate of Centre College with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She earned her Master of Science in Sports Management at the University of Indianapolis.
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