Following the exit of former head coach Shawn Rychcik, the NC State softball program has found its new head coach, and it is a good one.
On Saturday, NC State Athletics Director Debbie Yow announced that Jennifer Patrick-Swift, formerly the head coach at Saint Francis University, would be taking over the softball program.
Patrick-Swift led the Red Flash to back-to-back Northeast Conference titles in the last two seasons, clinching both the program’s first ever consecutive conference championships and first ever NCAA Tournament appearances.
Under the guidance of Patrick-Swift, Saint Francis went undefeated in conference play in 2017 and 2018, something only Florida State (2017) and Oklahoma (2018) accomplished.
In her seven years as head coach of Saint Francis, the Red Flash racked up 226 wins, good for over 32 wins per season
As someone who grew up playing softball right down the road at Methodist University, Patrick-Swift is excited to take over the Wolfpack’s program.
“It’s hard to put my excitement of joining the Wolfpack family into words,” Patrick-Swift told NC State Athletics. “I am grateful to Debbie Yow, Georgia Brown and the entire search committee for giving me the opportunity to lead NC State’s softball program. NC State is a world-class university that offers outstanding leadership encompassed by one of the best cities to live in the country. The competitive growth that is occurring at NC State is an obvious byproduct of the university’s commitment to ‘think and do the extraordinary.’ I look forward to being a part of the Pack.”
Patrick-Swift will look to bring her record-setting ways to NC State, as the Red Flash broke 12 single-season team records, 12 individual single-season team records and nine individual career records during her tenure.
Prior to turning the Saint Francis softball program around, Patrick-Swift was a head coach at D-II schools Seton Hill and Chowan University before moving on to D-III York College of Pennsylvania. During her time at Seton Hill, the Griffins racked up four wins over ranked teams.
The Wolfpack softball team’s new leader isn’t just a superstar in the coaching ranks; she was also a record-setting first baseman at Methodist University.
Patrick-Swift started all four years at Methodist where she set career records in games played, at-bats, triples, total bases and putouts. She was named a team captain her junior and senior years and hit .405 and .420, respectively, during those two seasons.
Patrick-Swift will be taking over a Wolfpack softball squad that is just 64-102 (.386) over the last three years and bottomed out this past season with a 5-18 record in ACC play.
The NC State softball program was in need of a leader who could turn around the program and Patrick-Swift is just that. She took a Saint Francis program that was 10-38 (2-16 NEC) in the year prior to her arrival and turned it into a perennial contender that peaked this year in taking No. 10 Arizona to the brink in the Scottsdale Regional, ultimately falling to the Wildcats 1-0.
NC State could be looking at an immediate improvement on its disappointing 2018 season, as Patrick-Swift has a history of off-the-bat success. Saint Francis improved on its previous season’s record in each of Patrick-Swift’s first six years at the helm, culminating in a 49-11 (16-0 NEC) record in 2017.
Barring transfers, the Wolfpack is returning 14 of its 15 players, nearly 90 percent of its at-bats and 93 percent of its innings pitched. The Pack has the talent to contend right away, and if her prior experience is any indication, it is only a matter of time before Patrick-Swift has the Wolfpack competing for ACC titles.
