Mizzou introduces Larissa Anderson as head softball coach
The University of Missouri formally introduced Larissa Anderson as its next head softball coach on Thursday.
MU Athletic Director Jim Sterk and Anderson met with fans and media members to talk about the future of the softball program.
Anderson said, “This is a dream come true. This is every person’s dream to coach in the best conference in the country and at such a great institution. The possibilities are endless.”
Anderson comes to Mizzou from Hofstra University, where she spent the past 17 seasons. However, she had only been the head softball coach there for the past four years. Anderson had a 125-69-1 (.644) record before accepting the Mizzou job in May. Anderson notched a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) titles and four winning seasons.
Sterk said, “She has that kind of attitude, and it’s a winning attitude and doing it in the right way. She’s going to hold her kids accountable. She’s going to hold her staff accountable, but somebody they will like to play for.”
Last season was Anderson’s best as a head coach. Hofstra finished with a record of 41-14 record. The Pride won a CAA Tournament title, which secured their spot in an NCAA Regional. Hofstra was ranked No. 24 in the country to end the regular season.
Anderson agreed to a five-year contract with a base salary of $185,000.
Anderson inherits a Mizzou team that struggled last year, finishing last in the SEC with a record of 30-29 (6-17 SEC). MU was the only SEC team to miss the conference tournament. However, the Tigers return every starter for next season, barring a transfer, which gives Anderson a talented squad that is coming off a top-10 recruiting class.
Anderson touted the SEC as being the “best conference in softball.”
Anderson said, “There’s no easy team in the conference. In my past experience, maybe you didn’t have to play at the highest level every single weekend, but every single weekend in the SEC is like playing an NCAA tournament game.”
