Softball: Coal City grad Kirsten Verdun named assistant coach at University of Illinois

Kirsten Verdun is one of the best softball players that the state of Illinois has seen.

She led Coal City to an undefeated state Class 2A championship in 2010, setting a state record by going 40-0 in the circle. She went on to become a dominant force for DePaul University before playing professionally for the Chicago Bandits.

When her playing career was over, she began coaching. She started her coaching career as a grad assistant at the University of Louisville from 2014-15 before moving on to be an associate head coach at the University of Wisconsin from 2016-2023, where she also was the program’s recruiting coordinator.

On Saturday, Verdun was announced as a new assistant coach at University of Illinois. At Illinois, she will focus mainly on being the team’s pitching coach, although she said there will be some recruiting involved as well.

“I am so excited to come back and coach in my home state,” Verdun said. “That played some part in my decision. When I was at Wisconsin, I always admired [Illinois head coach] Tyra [Perry], and I thought it would be a great way to grow and learn more. I have nothing but great things to say about working with [Wisconsin coach] Yvette [Healy]. Some might look at this as kind of a lateral move, but it was the right move for me at this time.

“I like a challenge, and Illinois has an up-and-coming athletic department. The softball indoor facility is brand new and is one of the nicest indoors in the Big Ten right now. And being from Illinois and knowing what the towns and programs are like, maybe I can help get some of the top talent in the state to stay home and get a degree from a great school. I don’t think many people realize how great a degree from Illinois is. It’s one of the top 20 public universities in the country.”

“We are excited to welcome Kirsten to Champaign,” Perry said in a news release. “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. Her 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.”

Under her guidance, Wisconsin appeared in four NCAA Tournaments. Verdun’s pitchers earned All-Big Ten honors six times and NFCA All-Region accolades on seven occasions. Most recently, the Badgers’ ace Maddie Schwartz was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and the NFCA Great Lakes All-Region Second Team in 2023.

Kirsten Verdun fires a pitch when she played at Coal City High School. Verdun, who amassed a record of 82-4 with a 0.40 ERA while a member of the Coalers, was recently named an assistant coach at University of Illinois. (Herald Photo)

A standout player for DePaul, Verdun was a two-time All-American (2012 and 2014), helped DePaul to two NCAA regional final appearances and earned the 2014 Big East Conference regular season and tournament title. Verdun was named the 2014 Big East Pitcher of the Year in addition to being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Championship.

She became the first pitcher in program history to accumulate 900 innings with more than 900 strikeouts and 100 or more wins. She currently holds the Blue Demons’ school record for career starts, strikeouts looking and batters faced, while ranking second in the record books in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, appearances and complete games.

The four-time all-conference and all-Great Lakes Region selection was a double threat in the circle and at the plate. Verdun, who held a .347 career batting average, hit 37 home runs, which ranks second in DePaul’s record books. She holds the record for most career walks with 156.

Verdun was just as successful in the classroom as she was in the circle. The Big East Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2014, Verdun was named to the DePaul University Dean’s List eight consecutive quarters, the DePaul University Athletic Director’s honor roll every quarter and landed a spot on the Big East All-Academic team from 2011-2014.

Verdun graduated from DePaul in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media with a minor in applied psychology.