Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Women's Softball

Year at Saint Mary's: 11th (in 2026) Record at Saint Mary's: 320-100 Overall Coaching Record: 1,123-250 (31 seasons) John Tschida is the fastpitch softball head coach, a position he has held since June 1, 2021.   Tschida, who first held the head coaching position at Saint Mary's from 1995 to 2000 — leading Saint Mary’s to the school’s first NCAA Division III national championship — before assuming the head coach duties at the University of St. Thomas for the next 21 years. In just his second season back at the helm at Saint Mary's, Tschida guided the Cardinals to their first MIAC Tournament appearance in 10 years in 2023. The following year, Tschida's Cardinals not only captured their first MIAC regular-season title since 2001, but also claimed the MIAC Playoff crown for the first time in program history. SMU finished 1-2 in the NCAA Regional in 2024.  He guided his team back to the College World Series in 2025, where they finished in seventh place. He coached the programs first ever Pitcher of the Year, Makayla Steffes, who also earned the Joan Joyce Utility Player and Pitcher award that season. To add to the remarkable 2025 season, the Cardinals hosted the programs first ever Regional and Super Regional games to punch their ticket to the CWS. He coached a program high 13 conference honors and earned Region IX Coaching Staff of the Year Honors. Tschida led the Tommies to back-to-back national titles in 2004 and 2005, and a runner-up finish in 2006. His UST teams appeared in 17 consecutive NCAA Playoff fields, and collected 30 MIAC championships, including 16 regular season and 15 playoffs.    A two-time National Coach of the Year, Tschida has been named the MIAC Coach of the Year 15 times (the most recent in 2025) and was voted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame in December 2016.  His St. Thomas coaching staffs were named the Division III Midwest Regional Coaches of the Year by the NFCA three times in the last seven seasons.   Twice inducted into the Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame — first as the coach of the championship team in 2005 and again for his success as a coach in 2010 — Tschida has coached 37 players to All-American honors, as well as three National Players of the Year.    Off the field, Tschida's teams have embodied comprehensive excellence. His players have garnered 22 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.