Coach John Tschida talks to his players after defeating St. Benedict at a May 6, 2017 game at South Field. Tschida will resign at the end of the 2021 season to become the softball coach at St. Mary’s University, his alma mater. (TommieMedia file photo).
St. Thomas softball coach John Tschida will resign at the end of the 2021 season to become the softball coach at his alma mater, St. Mary’s University, athletics departments from St. Mary’s and St. Thomas announced Monday.
Tschida, who has led the team for 21 seasons and accumulated 792 wins, the most wins of any coach in program history, told St. Mary’s news service that St. Thomas’ move to Division I was one of “a number of reasons” why Tschida resigned from St. Thomas.
“I love the Division III atmosphere; it’s the culture I grew up with, and I appreciate the relationships you develop with student-athletes in this division,” Tschida told St. Mary’s news service. “I enjoy the Division III philosophy of developing a lot of different levels of players and watching them grow as people and as players.”
This will be Tschida’s second run as St. Mary’s head coach, a position he held from 1994 to 2000 before coming to St. Thomas. Between St. Mary’s and St. Thomas, he is one game short of 1,000 wins, the most wins of any NCAA Division III softball coach.
Under Tschida’s leadership, the Tommies won back-to-back national titles in 2004 and 2005 and were runner-up in 2006.
Tschida has appeared in 16 consecutive NCAA playoff games and collected 30 MIAC championships along the way in his coaching career. He was also named MIAC Coach of the Year 13 times and National Coach of the Year twice and was voted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016.
“The University of St. Thomas is making the bold move into Division I and it is an exciting time,” Tschida told Tommie Sports. “Although it is the right move for the institution, I have decided to return to my alma mater where my coaching career started and where we won our first national championship.”
Tschida is the third St. Thomas coach to resign or retire since the announcement of St. Thomas moving to Division I athletics next school year. Men’s golf coach Scott Proshek and men’s hockey coach Jeff Boeser both announced their retirements this school year.
Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.