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Larissa Anderson
A new era in Mizzou Softball began in the Summer of 2018, as Larissa Anderson was named the 10th head coach to lead the tradition-rich Tiger program on Saturday, May 26, 2018.
As Anderson enters year three in Mid-Missouri that new era has already gotten off to a successful start, and her ability to change the culture of the program in such a short time was a big reason why. Anderson has led Mizzou to a 54-32 record in her year and a half tenure, and owns a career record of 184-105-1 as a head coach.
Anderson finished her first season in the Black & Gold with a 35-25 record, the most wins for the Tigers in a single-season since 2016, when they won 42 games. Anderson's squad was also stellar in her first season as part of the always elite Southeastern Conference, as the Tigers' 12 wins during SEC play, which resulted in a tie for fourth place, were the most conference victories for Mizzou since 2016. The season ended with the Tigers' 13th straight regional appearance, as Anderson's Tigers earned a spot in the Los Angeles Regional, where they went 3-2, pushing host No. 2 UCLA to a winner-take-all game seven.
Her biggest test would come during the 2020 season. With Mizzou Softball’s postseason ban being upheld three months prior to the season, Anderson’s steady leadership guided the Tigers through what would be a turbulent year. Despite the postseason ban, Mizzou lost zero players to transfer, and entered the season with its roster intact.
Mizzou’s postseason ban would prove to be only a minor blip in a season that was ultimately canceled after 26 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tigers made the most of those 26 games, finishing with a 19-7 record, and being one of only two teams to be undefeated in SEC play. Mizzou ended the season ranked 25th in the NFCA Coaches’ Poll – its first time finishing the season ranked since 2016 – while Cayla Kessinger was named to Softball America’s All-America team.
Anderson joined Mizzou after a 17-year run at Hofstra, the final four as the head coach.
In four seasons at Hofstra, Anderson fashioned a 130-73-1 (.640) record with a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) titles and four winning seasons. She picked up her 100th career win with the Pride's 7-2 win over Boston University, March 17, 2018, and posted seven career wins over nationally-ranked opponents, including three in 2018—a 1-0 victory over then-No. 13 Florida State on March 2 and a pair at No. 22 James Madison to claim the CAA Tournament crown.
The 2018 campaign was a historic one for Hofstra Softball, as Anderson led the 24th-ranked Pride to a 41-14 record, the CAA Tournament title and the NCAA Columbia Regional. Hofstra earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by defeating CAA regular-season champion and 22nd-ranked James Madison, 7-4, to claim its 12th CAA title in the sport since joining the league in 2002 and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
Anderson's 2018 squad reached the 40-win mark for the 11th time in program history (and first since a school-record 46 wins in 2013), while setting school records for runs scored (334), home runs (70) and RBI (315). Hofstra owned an RPI of 19 against the nation's 29th-toughest schedule in 2018. Hofstra also garnered a league-high eight CAA postseason honors headlined by Sarah Cornell's selection as the CAA Pitcher of the Year—the Pride's 10th such honor all-time and first since 2013, all of which were tutored by Anderson.
In 2017, Hofstra returned to the CAA championship game, as the program registered its 28th-straight winning season (27-23) and earned the No. 2 seed in the CAA Tournament. Anderson picked up her first win over a Top 10 opponent as head coach with a 5-2 victory over No. 10 James Madison. Under Anderson's direction, Cornell was named first-team NFCA All-Northeast Region as a rookie, while also earning a spot on the All-CAA second team and All-Rookie team.
The Pride posted another winning record in her second season (24-22) and had six student-athletes earn CAA postseason honors and two garner NFCA All-Northeast Region recognition.
In her first season as the storied program's head coach in 2015, Anderson led Hofstra to the CAA championship and an NCAA Tournament berth, guiding Hofstra to a 38-14-1 record and a spot in the NCAA Gainesville Regional. Anderson and her assistants were named the NFCA Northeast Region's Coaching Staff of the Year after Hofstra posted a collective 2.05 ERA, smashed 56 home runs and out-scored opponents, 277-129.
Anderson has been part of eight NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year award winners, including seven as an assistant or associate head coach and one as the head coach. In 17 seasons at Hofstra, she helped the Pride to a 610-267-2 (.695) record). Before taking over as head coach from Hall of Famer Bill Edwards, Anderson spent 13 seasons on the Hofstra staff as an assistant, including the last 10 as the associate head coach, helping the program to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 CAA titles. As associate head coach, she helped Hofstra win 24 NCAA Tournament games and make six appearances in the regional finals.
Under Anderson's guidance, Hofstra hurlers won nine CAA Pitcher of the Year awards in 10 seasons, including four consecutive wins by Olivia Galati from 2010-13 and three from Kayleigh Lotti from 2007-09. Galati was twice named an All-America by the NFCA and was the program's first-ever first-team pick in 2012 after leading Division I with a 0.95 ERA and a 34-7 record. Anderson helped guide Galati to a NCAA-best 40 wins and 22 shutouts in 2013.
A hallmark of the Hofstra Softball program during Anderson's tenure was the Pride's stellar defense. From 2008-13, Hofstra regularly ranked among the nation's elite in fielding percentage as the Pride was among the Top 20 nationally in five of those seasons. Hofstra ranked first in Division I in fielding percentage during the 2011 season and was fourth in 2008 and 2010, and 16th in 2012 and 2013. Her 2018 team currently ranks sixth nationally with an .979 mark.
An active NFCA member, she chaired its Ethics Committee from 2009-13, and currently serves as its Fourth Vice President on the NFCA executive board and as a member of the NFCA Recruiting Committee and the NFCA Hall of Fame Committee. Anderson is currently the Vice President of the Awards Committee.
Prior to joining the Hofstra staff, Anderson served as an assistant coach for two seasons at LIU Post, where she helped the Pioneers to a combined 75-33 record, including a school-record 42 wins during the 2000 season. She assisted in all facets of the program at LIU Post and was in charge of coaching the pitchers and catchers. Her efforts helped the Pioneers to the 13th-best team earned run average in Division II (1.11) in 2001. She was also part of a C.W. Post staff that received the Northeast Region Division II Coaching Staff of the Year award from the NFCA in 2000.
Anderson spent one season as an assistant coach at Gannon University in 1998, after being named a regional All-American outfielder in 1997. She graduated from Gannon in 1997 with a bachelor's of science degree in therapeutic recreation.
She is married to former Hofstra Baseball Coach Patrick Anderson, who manages the Washington Nationals Class A affiliate in Hagerstown, Maryland.
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