Murray State Softball Head Coach Kara Amundson announced the addition of Zack Parsons to the coaching staff on Friday, Aug. 23.
Amundson is confident that Parsons will make a positive impact on Racer softball by assisting with pitching.
“We are excited about the addition of Coach Parsons to round out our staff,” Amundson said. “He is a great young pitching mind with plenty of coaching experience that will continue to help the growth of our pitching staff. We welcome Zack to Racer Nation with open arms.”
After receiving his degree in exercise science at Georgetown College in 2015, Parsons pursued a master’s degree in counseling and personnel services with a concentration in college student personnel at the University of Louisville in 2017. At Murray State, he plans to earn a certificate in organizational dynamics.
In between his studies, Parsons stacked up an impressive resumé. He began his coaching career by assisting at East Jessamine High School in Nicholasville, Kentucky, where he helped the Lady Jaguars finish as the 12th region runner-up after a district championship with a staggering 28-3 record.
Parsons’ collegiate portfolio opened in 2018 at Asbury University, where he began as a volunteer assistant coach specializing in coaching the pitching staff. By December of that year, Parsons received the title of interim head coach and wasted no time in stepping up to the challenge. Offensively, the Eagles achieved an increase in total hits, doubles, walks, RBIs, home runs and runs scored in a single season.
Parsons was officially named head coach at Asbury at the start of the following season. The COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short, but the Eagles did boast the first winning record (8-6) for the first time since 2011. The Eagles also led their conference in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored per game, RBIs per game, home runs and home runs per game. The pitching staff continued to benefit from Parsons’ presence as well, recording a team ERA of 2.94. The opposing batting average was a modest .246, and opposing batters struck out 70 times and walked 32 times.
“I’m very thankful to be joining an already incredible coaching staff,” Parsons said. “Coach Amundson and Coach Gilland have created a strong culture of what it means to be a Racer, and I’m looking forward to doing my part in upholding that standard.”