Coaching Hires that Click: Morgan Zerkle at Marshall

There are many factors that go into coaching hires at all levels of athletics. Administrators vary in terms of what qualities they seek in their ideal candidate and it can range from experience, to presentation, to personality and to sport knowledge.

Ultimately, administrators choose who they believe to be the best fit and can deliver value to the athletic department and student-athletes.

On September 25, Extra Inning Softball took a closer look at the 31 head coaching hires made in advance of the 2024 season at the Division I level.

This is the second of a five-part series highlighting impactful coaching hires at the Division I level.

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School: Marshall University

Coach Hired: Morgan Zerkle

Coaching Experience: Assistant coach Miami (Ohio), graduate assistant coach Indiana

Playing Career: Marshall, National Pro Fastpitch, Athletes Unlimited, USA Softball National Team

Coaching Staff: Aly Harrell, Sydney McKinney, Allison Rager

2023 Record: 45-10 overall, 17-5 Sun Belt Conference (Second)

What’s Back for the Thundering Herd: The Herd were hit hard by graduation and the transfer portal, but plenty of talent remains in Huntington, W. Va., for Zerkle to build her first team around. Senior Sydney Bickel leads the group of returnees for Marshall after being named Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and earning First Team All-Sun Belt honors last season. She hit .363 for the year and had 11 doubles, seven triples and stole 20 bases. The quartet of Bub Feringa, Camryn Michallas, Rielly Lucas and Brooklyn Ulrich combined to start 209 games last year and played key roles in the Thundering Herd’s historic season. Feringa hit .320 and drove in 48 runs, while Michallas batted .313 with four home runs and 28 RBIs. Lucas belted eight home runs and accounted for 40 RBIs while Ulrich hit three home runs and drove in 14 runs. Savannah Rice is the top pitcher returning for Marshall after finishing the 2023 season with a 12-0 record and a 2.63 earned run average. Feringa made eight appearances in the circle in relief and was 1-0 with a 2.47 ERA and one save.

What’s To Like About the Hire: The real question is what’s not to like about this hire? Zerkle has spoken about surrounding herself with great people, which ultimately leads to success. With the staff she has put together, she has accomplished that goal. Adding Aly Harrell, Sydney McKinney and Allison Rager to her staff was a home run. This trio will not only be attractive to recruits, but also brings a wealth of knowledge to the program. Zerkle has known nothing but winning both as a player and a coach and her standard for performance will be high. As a player at Marshall she helped lead the team to 135 wins in four years and in five seasons as an assistant coach (not including the  shortened COVID season) her teams have averaged 37 wins a year. At Miami (Ohio), she was part of a staff that led the RedHawks to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. This hire hits differently for Zerkle as coming home is always special. Her love for the school and the program should push her even more to be successful.

Final Analysis: Logically, one might assume given the graduation and transfer portal losses for Marshall they might take a step back in 2024. That is not an assumption that Zerkle will be comfortable with as she establishes her own standard for the program. The players returning from last season got a real taste of winning and Zerkle and her staff will capitalize on that momentum. While taking down Sun Belt juggernaut Louisiana is a tall order, the thought here is that the Sun Belt could become a two-bid conference as it pertains to the NCAA Tournament. Marshall is on the verge of something very special and Zerkle is the right person to return the Thundering Herd to prominence. Most importantly, this is not a short-term fix, but rather a hire that will have Marshall poised to become a player on the national stage in the years to come.

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