Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cottrill Tabbed as OSU Softball Pitching Coach
July 31, 2017 | Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State softball team has added Jeff Cottrill as the program's newest pitching coach, head coach Kenny Gajewski announced Monday.
"I'm very excited to have Jeff as a part of our coaching staff now," Gajewski said. "Jeff is someone that has numerous years of experience coaching softball. He is also someone that is already very familiar with our team and I think that will be a tremendous bonus for our team in his new role."
Cottrill is entering his third season with the Oklahoma State softball program in 2018. This year will mark his first as one of the team's assistant coaches though, as he spent his first two years in Stillwater managing the team's day-to-day activities as the director of operations.
"I'm thrilled to be switching roles and joining the coaching staff on the field this season," Cottrill said. "There is nothing like being a part of the entire experience on the field. I've been fortunate to be able to be around and interact with the team during my first two years here, but I'm excited to now be moving down onto the field and working with these kids every day."
The 2018 season will mark Cottrill's first season as a collegiate assistant coach, but he does have some prior experience working Oklahoma State's pitching staff.
During head coach Kenny Gajewski's inaugural campaign in 2016, Cottrill stepped in to manage the team's pitching staff when former OSU pitching coach Charlotte Morgan had to take a leave of absence for health-related issues.
Cottrill worked closely with the entirety of the Oklahoma State pitching staff over the next month. In that time, he helped spark a run of tremendous pitching that guided the Cowgirls back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
"I knew that Jeff was a special coach when he stepped in for us during those 30 days," Gajewski said. "That stretch was the best that we've pitched during my time here and it showed me that he is the right person for the job."
Among the standouts from the group that Cottrill briefly managed was Kacy Freeze, who posted a sub-4.00 ERA and recorded a team-high 19 victories during her senior season. Freeze totaled 44 appearances in 2016, pitching 19 complete games and tossing three shutouts. She also recorded four saves during the 2016 season, which ranks as the second most by a player in a single season in team history.
"It's certainly very beneficial to have had some of that experience in this position already," Cottrill said. "There's no magic potion to coaching college softball. You have to find out what works with each kid. The fact that I was able to have some success in that spot let me know that I can do this at this level."
Prior to his time at Oklahoma State, Cottrill worked closely with the Wichita Mustangs Softball Academy in Wichita, Kansas. He ran the team's operations in both 2013 and 2014, while also coaching within the organization for five years.
Cottrill earned his degree in business administration in 2008 from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.
"I'm very excited to have Jeff as a part of our coaching staff now," Gajewski said. "Jeff is someone that has numerous years of experience coaching softball. He is also someone that is already very familiar with our team and I think that will be a tremendous bonus for our team in his new role."
Cottrill is entering his third season with the Oklahoma State softball program in 2018. This year will mark his first as one of the team's assistant coaches though, as he spent his first two years in Stillwater managing the team's day-to-day activities as the director of operations.
"I'm thrilled to be switching roles and joining the coaching staff on the field this season," Cottrill said. "There is nothing like being a part of the entire experience on the field. I've been fortunate to be able to be around and interact with the team during my first two years here, but I'm excited to now be moving down onto the field and working with these kids every day."
The 2018 season will mark Cottrill's first season as a collegiate assistant coach, but he does have some prior experience working Oklahoma State's pitching staff.
During head coach Kenny Gajewski's inaugural campaign in 2016, Cottrill stepped in to manage the team's pitching staff when former OSU pitching coach Charlotte Morgan had to take a leave of absence for health-related issues.
Cottrill worked closely with the entirety of the Oklahoma State pitching staff over the next month. In that time, he helped spark a run of tremendous pitching that guided the Cowgirls back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.
"I knew that Jeff was a special coach when he stepped in for us during those 30 days," Gajewski said. "That stretch was the best that we've pitched during my time here and it showed me that he is the right person for the job."
Among the standouts from the group that Cottrill briefly managed was Kacy Freeze, who posted a sub-4.00 ERA and recorded a team-high 19 victories during her senior season. Freeze totaled 44 appearances in 2016, pitching 19 complete games and tossing three shutouts. She also recorded four saves during the 2016 season, which ranks as the second most by a player in a single season in team history.
"It's certainly very beneficial to have had some of that experience in this position already," Cottrill said. "There's no magic potion to coaching college softball. You have to find out what works with each kid. The fact that I was able to have some success in that spot let me know that I can do this at this level."
Prior to his time at Oklahoma State, Cottrill worked closely with the Wichita Mustangs Softball Academy in Wichita, Kansas. He ran the team's operations in both 2013 and 2014, while also coaching within the organization for five years.
Cottrill earned his degree in business administration in 2008 from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.
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