Kristina McSweeney will be the new head coach at South Dakota State, sources confirmed to Extra Inning Softball on Friday.
McSweeney will join the Jackrabbits from Arkansas Tech, where she spent the last decade as the Golden Suns’ head coach. McSweeney guided the ATU program to more than 300 wins during her tenure.
Under McSweeney’s guidance, the Golden Suns reached four consecutive Division II NCAA tournaments, an active streak that stretches back to the 2018 season.
Prior to taking over at Arkansas Tech, McSweeney spent four seasons as the head coach at Seminole State College, a JuCo program in Oklahoma. Her resume includes a stint as an assistant coach at SSC and time spent coaching at the high school level.
South Dakota State finished the 2022 season with a 41-13 overall record, including an 18-2 mark in Summit League play. The Jackrabbits won their second consecutive conference championship and reached the NCAA tournament, but fell in the regional round. Star slugger Cylie Halvorson also entered the transfer portal earlier in June.
