Coaches

Jeff Conrad

Jeff Conrad joined the Ospreys' staff in August of 2015. At the University of North Florida, he is responsible for hitting and working with the infielders as well as serving as recruiting coordinator. On August 18, 2019, Conrad was promoted to Associate Head Coach. June 10, 2022 Conrad officially became interim head coach before being elevated to head coach July 1, 2022 as the sixth head coach in program history.


During the 2022 season, North Florida set many impressive offensive marks under Conrad as the associate head coach. On the way to a D-I era best mark of 42 wins, including 27 at home, the Osprey offense run-ruled nine games and scored six runs or more in 19 games this season. UNF also put together streaks of 13 and 10 straight wins during the year, as well as a D-I program record of three consecutive games of double digit scoring totals. It was also the first time since 2017 that they garnered three wins over Power Five teams in a season.


UNF had one of its most successful seasons in 2022 with their second ASUN Championship title game appearance in program history. They also produced three All-ASUN players, including outfielder Shannon Glover to the first team, as well as five Ospreys selected for conference weekly honors highlighted by Kayla McGory earning her first-career ASUN Player of the Week.


Conrad helped set offensive team marks that ranked top two in the program's D-I history for slugging percentage (.400), runs scored (274), home runs (36), RBI (244) and stolen bases (76). He also helped Kayla McGory finish her career top-two in the program's D-I era for at-bats (648), runs scored (121), RBI (116), stolen bases (62) and walks (99).


In 2019, UNF advanced to the ASUN Tournament championship game for the first time in school history thanks, in part, to a strong offensive year. Senior Navia Penrod became the ASUN all-time career hits leader collecting her 285th hit in a 3-1 win over Liberty.


UNF finished the campaign with 30 wins and was among the conference offensive leaders in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, runs, hits, triples and RBI. Defensively, North Florida led the ASUN in double plays turned with 25, falling just two short of the record 27 turned in by the 2017 squad. The Birds of Clay also recorded their first conference series sweep since 2015 with a three-game sweep of Stetson in DeLand securing their spot in the ASUN Conference Tournament.


Navia Penrod was a first team ASUN selection while Penrod, Paige Pfent and Morgan Clausen received ASUN All-Tournament honors.


The 2017 season was also a record breaking year for the Ospreys offense under Conrad’s leadership. Team school records were set in batting average (.295), doubles (82), sacrifice flies (22) and stolen bases (84). The 2017 squad also posted 470 hits, falling just two shy of the 472 collected by the 2008 team.


Individually, several Ospreys also claimed spots atop the UNF record books. Sophomore Navia Penrod set school records posting a .422 batting average and 87 hits. Penrod became the first Osprey to finish the season with over a .400 average during the DI era. Heading into postseason play, her 87 hits were top in NCAA DI. Freshman Kayla McGory led all of NCAA Division I with a program-best nine sac flies which helped her earn a spot on the ASUN All-Freshman team. McGory also became tops at UNF in triples (4) and walks (39) during her rookie campaign. UNF featured one of the top offenses in the ASUN - finishing in the top two in hits, doubles, RBI and batting average.


Defensively the Ospreys set a school record turning 27 double plays and led the ASUN. McGory was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year. McGory, Penrod and Dominica Cocuzza were named ASUN First Team All-Conference performers. Penrod also garnered ASUN All-Tournament honors in addition to NFCA All-Region honors.


In 2016, Conrad’s first year guiding the Ospreys offense, UNF finished in the top three of the ASUN with a .274 team batting average. That batting average was the highest offensive output recorded by a UNF team in the past eight seasons. The Ospreys went on to lead the conference in sacrifice hits and finished in the top two in doubles. Conrad guided a UNF offense that went on to set a school record with 19 hits in a game versus cross town rival Jacksonville University.


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Previous Experience


Prior to UNF, Conrad served on Renee Luers-Gillispie’s coaching staff at UCF serving as the Volunteer Assistant Coach for the 2015 season. With the Knights, he was responsible for working with the hitters, infielders and catchers. In 2015, UCF won the American Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament titles for the first time in school history. The Knights set a school record for wins in a season at 50 (50-9) in addition to a program-best batting average at .292. UCF advanced to the regional finals before falling to host Florida State and concluded their season with a No. 16 national ranking and ranked fourth in the NCAA in win-loss percentage at .847.


In addition, the Knights defense finished the year ranked second in the nation in fielding percentage at .979. Senior second baseman Kahley Novak was drafted in the fourth round by the Dallas Charge. Conrad was a member of the coaching staff that was named by the American Athletic Conference as Coaching Staff of the Year. Additionally, they were honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as the Mideast Region Coaching Staff of the Year.


Prior to joining the college coaching ranks, Conrad served as the head coach of the 18-Gold Tampa Mustangs travel team. During his two seasons with the Mustangs, 19 of his players went on to sign college softball scholarships, 18 of which were with Division I programs.


The Chicago native and former shortstop played Division I college baseball at Valparaiso University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. Conrad’s sister Traci, was a three-time NFCA All-American at Michigan and is the Big Ten Conference’s all-time career hits leader. In 2015, she was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame.


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What They're Saying


"Jeff has been a tireless leader for UNF softball for years. His pure love for teaching the game and his work ethic make him the right fit to lead the program to new heights. Above all, Jeff is a quality individual who has proven to be, and will continue to be, a coach who commits himself to the growth of his student-athletes." -- Bonnie Tholl, Associate Head Softball Coach at the University of Michigan


"UNF is in great hands. Two things I know Jeff can do is recruit and develop hitters. As a friend, I'm very happy he's getting this opportunity. As a rival, it's going to be fun!" -- Erica Ayers, Head Softball Coach at Jacksonville University


"Congratulations to Jeff and UNF. Jeff knows how to recruit, teach the game and treat his players well. I'm looking forward to following Jeff and his Osprey teams for years to come." -- Pete D'Amour, Head Softball Coach at Virginia Tech University


"Congratulations to the University of North Florida on the hiring of Jeff Conrad as the new head softball coach. Coach Conrad is an outstanding teacher and student of the game. He is a hard worker and excellent evaluator of talent. I couldn't be happier for Jeff, his family and the future of Osprey Softball." -- Tim Walton, University of Florida Head Softball Coach