Illinois has hired Kirsten Verdun as pitching coach, the school announced on Saturday.
Verdun spent the last eight seasons on staff at Wisconsin, working with the Badger pitching staff. She was part of the coaching staff that guided the Badgers to four NCAA tournament appearances in that time frame.
“We are excited to welcome Kirsten Verdun to Champaign,” Illinois head coach Tyra Perry said in a statement. “She is a proven winner whose intense focus as a student-athlete at Coal City High School and then DePaul led her to many accolades that still stand in the Illinois record books to date. Kirsten’s detail-oriented approach to training has a proven track record in our league. She has tutored numerous pitchers to All-Big Ten status during her time at Wisconsin. Kirsten’s leadership skills are undeniable, and I am happy she has chosen the Orange and Blue.”
Prior to her tenure at Wisconsin, Verdun spent the 2015 season as a graduate assistant at Louisville. She played professional softball for two years following an All-American playing career at DePaul. She currently holds the Blue Demons’ school record for career starts, strikeouts looking and batters faced, while finishing second in the record books in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, appearances and complete games.
