University of Illinois Women's Softball

Perry was hired as the University of Illinois' second-ever head coach in June, 2015. She spent the previous 15 seasons as a NCAA Division I softball head coach, totaling 409 career victories as the head coach at Ball State, Western Kentucky, and Birmingham Southern. During her two seasons at Ball State, Perry directed the Cardinals to 67 wins with a combined nine All-MAC selections and 13 Academic All-MAC honorees. This years team went 34-25 and won the Mid-American Conference West Division before claiming the 2015 MAC Tournament Championship, earning the Cardinals an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ball State defeated 16th-seeded Notre Dame in postseason action to record its first-ever NCAA Regional victory. Perry was named 2014 MAC Coach of the Year during her first season at Ball State after guiding the program to a 33-19 mark and overall conference title during the regular season. The Cardinals had a program-record five first-team All-MAC selections, led by Player of the Year Jennifer Gilbert, who also earned All-America honors. Prior to Ball State, Perry spent six seasons as head coach at Western Kentucky, guiding the Lady Toppers to 196 victories to become the winningest coach in program history. In 2013, WKU earned its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance, advancing to the championship game of the Tuscaloosa Regional. Western Kentucky finished the year ranked No. 26 in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), the highest final ranking in program history. Perry also guided the Lady Toppers to several other firsts during the 2013 campaign. The program posted its first 40-plus-win season (43-18) and earned its first Sun Belt Conference regular season title with a 20-3 league record. The two-time Sun Belt Coach of the Year (2009 and 2013), Perry helped Emily Rousseau earn the program's first SBC Pitcher of the Year honor in 2013. In her six seasons with the Lady Toppers, Perry helped her players garner 14 All-SBC honors and eight SBC All-Tournament Team selections. In the classroom, Perrys Western Kentucky student-athletes earned five CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, 22 recognitions on the Sun Belt Commissioner's List and 34 Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll awards. Perry guided Birmingham-Southern to 146 victories in seven years as head coach (six seasons of competition), despite the Panthers being a provisional NCAA Division I member during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. In 2006, she led Birmingham-Southern to its first winning season in program history with a 28-21 record. Her Panthers squads posted at least 25 wins in each of her final five seasons with the program. In addition, 15 Birmingham-Southern student-athletes received postseason honors from the Big South Conference during Perrys tenure. In 2006, Perry added the title of Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator to her duties and served as the schools compliance director. Perry also was the head coach for a Southeastern All-Star team that played the United States Olympic squad prior to the 2004 games in Athens. A 1997 and 1998 graduate of Louisiana State University, Perry earned a bachelors degree in kinesiology in 1997 and added a master's degree in sports administration in 1998. After two seasons at Nicholls State, Perry followed her head coach to LSU as the second signee in the first signing class of the newly created Tiger softball program. After sitting out in 1996, she became a two-year letterwinner for the Tigers (1997-98), helping the program post a combined 102-28 record over her career, including a 58-14 mark in Southeastern Conference play. She also helped the Tigers pick up a pair of SEC West Division titles and make the program's first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament appearance where it finished second. In her first season at LSU, Perry led the Tigers with a .345 batting average, 11 home runs, 40 runs scored, .416 on-base percentage and .612 slugging percentage. Those numbers helped her earn recognition on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region Second Team, as well as First-Team All-Louisiana honors and a slot on the SECs All-Tournament Team. Perry led the team with five homers in 1998 while posting a .324 average with 29 runs scored and 38 RBI. Off the field, she was twice named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Prior to entering the coaching profession, Perry served a two-year internship in the compliance department at LSU. Perry was inducted into the Zachary High School Hall of Fame in her hometown of Zachary, Louisiana, in 2007. Tyra Perry was hired as the University of Illinois' second-ever head coach in June, 2015. She spent the previous 15 seasons as a NCAA Division I softball head coach, totaling 409 career victories as the head coach at Ball State, Western Kentucky, and Birmingham Southern. During her two seasons at Ball State, Perry directed the Cardinals to 67 wins with a combined nine All-MAC selections and 13 Academic All-MAC honorees. This years team went 34-25 and won the Mid-American Conference West Division before claiming the 2015 MAC Tournament Championship, earning the Cardinals an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ball State defeated 16th-seeded Notre Dame in postseason action to record its first-ever NCAA Regional victory. Perry was named 2014 MAC Coach of the Year during her first season at Ball State after guiding the program to a 33-19 mark and overall conference title during the regular season. The Cardinals had a program-record five first-team All-MAC selections, led by Player of the Year Jennifer Gilbert, who also earned All-America honors. Prior to Ball State, Perry spent six seasons as head coach at Western Kentucky, guiding the Lady Toppers to 196 victories to become the winningest coach in program history. In 2013, WKU earned its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance, advancing to the championship game of the Tuscaloosa Regional. Western Kentucky finished the year ranked No. 26 in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), the highest final ranking in program history. Perry also guided the Lady Toppers to several other firsts during the 2013 campaign. The program posted its first 40-plus-win season (43-18) and earned its first Sun Belt Conference regular season title with a 20-3 league record. The two-time Sun Belt Coach of the Year (2009 and 2013), Perry helped Emily Rousseau earn the program's first SBC Pitcher of the Year honor in 2013. In her six seasons with the Lady Toppers, Perry helped her players garner 14 All-SBC honors and eight SBC All-Tournament Team selections. In the classroom, Perrys Western Kentucky student-athletes earned five CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, 22 recognitions on the Sun Belt Commissioner's List and 34 Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll awards. Perry guided Birmingham-Southern to 146 victories in seven years as head coach (six seasons of competition), despite the Panthers being a provisional NCAA Division I member during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. In 2006, she led Birmingham-Southern to its first winning season in program history with a 28-21 record. Her Panthers squads posted at least 25 wins in each of her final five seasons with the program. In addition, 15 Birmingham-Southern student-athletes received postseason honors from the Big South Conference during Perrys tenure. In 2006, Perry added the title of Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator to her duties and served as the schools compliance director. Perry also was the head coach for a Southeastern All-Star team that played the United States Olympic squad prior to the 2004 games in Athens. A 1997 and 1998 graduate of Louisiana State University, Perry earned a bachelors degree in kinesiology in 1997 and added a master's degree in sports administration in 1998. After two seasons at Nicholls State, Perry followed her head coach to LSU as the second signee in the first signing class of the newly created Tiger softball program. After sitting out in 1996, she became a two-year letterwinner for the Tigers (1997-98), helping the program post a combined 102-28 record over her career, including a 58-14 mark in Southeastern Conference play. She also helped the Tigers pick up a pair of SEC West Division titles and make the program's first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament appearance where it finished second. In her first season at LSU, Perry led the Tigers with a .345 batting average, 11 home runs, 40 runs scored, .416 on-base percentage and .612 slugging percentage. Those numbers helped her earn recognition on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region Second Team, as well as First-Team All-Louisiana honors and a slot on the SECs All-Tournament Team. Perry led the team with five homers in 1998 while posting a .324 average with 29 runs scored and 38 RBI. Off the field, she was twice named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Prior to entering the coaching profession, Perry served a two-year internship in the compliance department at LSU. Perry was inducted into the Zachary High School Hall of Fame in her hometown of Zachary, Louisiana, in 2007.

Trout comes to Champaign-Urbana from George Washington University, where she spent the 2015 season as an assistant coach. In charge of hitting and infield defense, she helped the Colonials to rank in the top 10 in the nation in double plays turned while showing marked improvement in batting average and home runs in her first season on staff. Prior to arrival in D.C., Trout served as a volunteer assistant for the University of South Carolina for two seasons, helping the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in six years in 2013. Trout began her college career at Spartanburg Methodist College, where she was a Junior College All-American, participated in two Junior College World Series, and was the Region X Most Valuable Player in 2009. Trout then transferred to the University of Georgia, where she helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2010 Womens College World Series and a final rank of No. 3 in the nation while receiving the award of Best Defensive Player. The Bulldogs starting shortstop, Trout had a breakout season as a senior, hitting .348 to help the Dawgs return to the Super Regionals. The Summerville, South Carolina, native guided Georgia back to the Super Regionals once again in 2012 as a student assistant coach, while completing her bachelors degree in journalism. In 2012, Trout served as the head coach of the Southern Force 18U Gold travel organization, where she led her team to a seventh-place finish at Premier Nationals. During her season at the held, she coached seven student athletes that would go on to play Division I softball, four of whom competed in the 2015 Women's College World Series. Additionally, she mentored a pair of Georgia Gatorade Players of the Year, including the National Player of the Year, as well as a Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year. Laura has played at the highest level at the University of Georgia, said Perry. She was also a key component to the success of the teams she has coached. Laura has a high softball IQ and I'm excited to have her at the University of Illinois. Trout graduated Magna Cum Laude from Spartanburg Methodist College with an associates degree in 2009. She then completed her bachelor's degree in journalism in 2012 at the University of Georgia, where she was twice named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.