Aug. 6, 2010

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University Director of Athletics Chris May announced today that Christy Connoyer has been named head coach of the Billiken softball program. The Bethalto, Ill., native becomes the 10th head coach in program history.

"We are excited to announce the hiring of Christy Connoyer as head softball coach," May said. "Christy is from the area, she's familiar with the St. Louis area softball scene, and she brings more than 14 years of Division I coaching experience to the position. We believe she will be able to recruit the caliber of student-athletes who will allow SLU to contend for Atlantic 10 Conference titles. Christy knows what it takes to win, having been a part of successful programs as a player and as a coach. Her commitment to academic excellence and passion for competitive success match our goals here at Saint Louis University."

"I want to thank Chris May and (associate athletics director) Janet Oberle for this fantastic opportunity," Connoyer said. "There is a tradition of excellence in academics and athletics at Saint Louis University, and I'm excited for the opportunity to build on that tradition. I'm from the area and I still have family close, so I'm thrilled to return to such a great city. I am passionate about softball and academics; and there is an amazing combination of both here at SLU."

Connoyer comes to SLU from a highly successful Southern Illinois program, where she served as associate head coach. Since June 2005, she recruited for the Salukis, evaluating athletic and academic talent and corresponding with student-athletes, their parents and coaches. Connoyer worked primarily with hitting and defene. Under her guidance, SIU has consistently been ranked among the top teams in the league in various statistical categories. Connoyer also coordinated travel, camps and the team's annual fund-raiser in addition to scheduling umpires and serving as the team's community service liaison.

SIU made two NCAA Tournament appearances (2006 and 2007) during Connoyer's tenure and earned the highest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) ranking in school history (No. 18 in 2008 and 2009). Academically, Southern Illinois had the second highest team GPA in the nation in 2007. Most recently in 2010, Connoyer and her colleagues received Missouri Valley Conference Coaching Staff of the Year accolades after leading the Salukis to the league's regular-season title.

In Connoyer's first season at SIU, the Salukis led the conference with a .283 team batting average and ranked 15th nationally in triples per game. During her second campaign, the squad posted the best fielding percentage (.976) in the league, which was the fifth-best rate in the country. SIU finished with the second highest batting average among league foes in 2008 and 2009.

Prior to her stint at Southern Illinois, Connoyer spent one season as head coach at the University of Tulsa. She guided the Golden Hurricane to 31 wins in 2005, becoming the first coach in program history to compile a winning record in her first season. Two of those wins were against in-state rival and perennial power No. 5 Oklahoma, the highest-ranked opponent Tulsa had ever defeated.

Connoyer's first foray into coaching was at Purdue, where she spent eight seasons as an assistant coach. She assisted with hitting and defensive instruction, coordination of team travel and scheduling umpires in addition to on- and off-campus recruiting. Connoyer also served as the team's liaison to academic services and athletics media relations.

Before making the move to Purdue, Connoyer was the head varsity volleyball coach and assistant varsity basketball and softball coach at Loyola College Preparatory in Shreveport, La. She led the new volleyball program to a pair of state tournament appearances, and also helped the Flyers win the 1996 Class 2A state softball championship.

During her playing career, Connoyer was a four-time first-team All-Conference selection at the University of Notre Dame. The four-year starter received team MVP honors in 1993 and was voted team captain in 1994. Connoyer's playing career culminated with an Olympic Level II tryout in 1995. She graduated from Notre Dame in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in government and international studies. Connoyer went on to earn a master's degree in teaching from the University of Portland (Notre Dame, Ind.) in 1996.

Saint Louis Billikens Softball