June 3, 2010

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis Director of Athletics Chris May announced today that head softball coach John Conway has resigned. Conway has accepted the same position at NCAA Division II Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Fla. A national search for his successor will begin immediately.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my four years as the head softball coach at Saint Louis University," Conway said. "I appreciate the support I've received from the athletic department and attribute much of our success to that support. I wish the best to the program, and I am confident that the softball team will have continued success in the future."

"We appreciate all of the hard work that John has put into the program to make SLU one of the most competitive softball teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference," May said. "We wish him all the best in his new position at Saint Leo. With a strong team returning, we are most optimistic about the future of the program. We have begun a national search for his replacement."

Conway led the Billiken softball team to unprecedented success over the last four seasons, reaching the 100-win plateau faster than any coach in program history. SLU made four straight Atlantic 10 Championship appearances and put together a school-record four consecutive 20-win campaigns. The Bills finished among the top four teams in the league every year during Conway's tenure.

In his inaugural season at Saint Louis, Conway piloted the program to a then-school-record 29 wins and its first A-10 Championship appearance. The 2007 Billikens, who advanced to the title game, shattered the program milestones for runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, walks, stolen bases and pitching strikeouts.

The 2010 team, which finished 30-26-1 and featured the program's first National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-District player, was just the fifth Billiken squad to finish above .500. SLU bettered the program standards for wins, shutouts, home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage.

Conway's Billikens finished among the top 25 in the nation in stolen bases each season. His teams also set single-game marks for hits, doubles, home runs, walks, stolen bases, assists and pitching strikeouts. Conway completes his SLU career with a 104-125-2 (.455) ledger and a 221-176-2 (.556) mark in eight career seasons.

Saint Louis Billikens Softball