Drexel University Athletics
Drexel Names Katie Jansson Head Softball Coach
8/6/2021 9:00:00 AM | Softball
PHILADELPHIA – Katie Jansson, who led the Iona softball program for the past three seasons, has been named the new softball head coach at Drexel University. Drexel's Director of Athletics Maisha Kelly made the announcement on Thursday. Jansson will become the 10th head coach in the history of the program.
"On behalf of the entire Drexel community, I would like to welcome Katie to University City," Kelly said. "Katie had an immediate impact in her previous stops, prioritizing success of student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom. She will bring a competitive spirit, coupled with creating a culture that steers our women into achieving their goals as students and softball players. We are all looking forward to her arrival on campus."
Jansson recently completed her third season as the head coach of the Iona College softball team. She led the Gaels to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament appearances in each of the two seasons the tournament took place. Jansson coached the MAAC Player of the Year, the MAAC Pitcher of the Year and the MAAC Rookie of the Year during the 2021 season. In addition, 11 student-athletes were named to the MAAC All-Academic list.
"I am beyond excited to be named the next head softball coach at Drexel University," Jansson said. "I want to thank Maisha Kelly, Sean Joyce and the entire search committee for this amazing opportunity. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to be a part of the Drexel community and I am so impressed with the culture of this University and Department. I cannot wait to get started with our student-athletes and I look forward to continuing to compete for CAA championships. Go Dragons!!"
"We are so excited to welcome Coach Jansson to the Dragon Family," Sean Joyce, Drexel's Assistant Athletic Director said. "Katie has infectious energy and a passion for the game that will make an immediate impact. She is very organized and a great role model, who genuinely cares about her student-athletes. With her vision and leadership, Drexel Softball is going to be exciting to watch in the years to come!"
Before her arrival at Iona, Jansson served as the head coach at Monroe College. She led the Mustangs to a 21-19 overall record and a 2018 NJCAA Region X tournament berth, the first appearance in program history at the NJCAA Division I level. She also coached Monroe's first-ever NJCAA DI All-American. Jansson was an assistant coach at Iona during the 2017 season and prior to that was a graduate assistant coach for Manhattanville College. The Valiants finished the 2016 campaign as Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference champions. The team also made an appearance in the NCAA Regional championships and the 2016 NCAA Super Regionals.
Jansson, a 2014 graduate of Iona, was a standout student-athlete for the Gaels from 2010 to 2014. A four-year starter at catcher, the Gaels won three MAAC softball championships (2011, 2012 and 2014) during her four years. Jansson was a 2014 MAAC All-Tournament Team selection. She ranks in the top 10 in program history with 199 career games played and 79 runs batted in. Jansson's 16 home runs are the second-most by a Gael catcher. In the classroom, Jansson was a three-time MAAC All-Academic Team honoree and NFCA Scholar-Athlete All-American. She graduated cum laude in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in speech language pathology and earned a Master of Science in sports business management at Manhattanville.