John Tschida

Head Coach

John Tschida can be reached at 651-962-5922 or at jbtschida@stthomas.edu

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John Tschida is regarded among the elite coaches in all of college softball. In 2004 he became the first softball coach to win NCAA championships at two different schools. He's been named NFCA Division III National Coach of the Year twice in the last six seasons.

In the last eight seasons, Tschida has guided the Tommies victories in 15 of 21 postseason tournaments (MIAC, regional, NCAA finals). The 54-12 overall postseason record includes a 24-0 mark in the MIAC playoffs, and UST's overall record is 343-43 (.889).

He guided St. Mary's to the 2000 NCAA Division III championship is his sixth season at his alma mater, and then took the 2004 Tommies to NCAA gold in his fourth season at St. Thomas. Tschida's 2005 team won 32 of its last 33 games to close 43-6 and repeat as NCAA champion. He was again awarded national Coach of the Year honors.

In 17 years of college coaching, Tschida has won three national championships and became the winningest Division III coach, active or retired, (winning percentage, .854) with a 655-112 record.

Tschida has been named MIAC Coach of the Year nine of his 17 years. His teams have been nationally ranked each year, and in the last 15 seasons have posted a 295-14 record in conference regular-season play. In 11 seasons at St. Thomas, his teams have swept 112 conference twinbills, split eight and were swept just once, and in all games vs. conference opponents are 257-10 (.963).

His players have earned 28 NCAA All-American honors, 43 Academic All-American honors, and 81 first-team All-MIAC honors.

The 2002 Tommies made school history by becoming the first St. Thomas softball team to win the NCAA regional and reach the eight-team NCAA tournament. The Tommies placed fifth nationally and posted a 38-9 record, including a 21-1 conference mark that resulted in a record-setting five-game margin over the runners-up.

The 2003 Tommies finished 32-6 for the best winning percentage in school history. Two one-run losses dropped them to 20-2 in the conference and denied them a repeat trip to the NCAA playoffs.

The 2004 Tommies started 5-4 then won their final 41 games, including a 25-0 record vs. conference opponents and a remarkable 10-0 run through the postseason. The 41 consecutive wins set a Division III softball record and is second only to Arizona's 47 wins in 1995-96 among all NCAA programs.

The 2005 Tommies won 31 of their last 32 games and went 10-0 in the postseason for the second year in a row. Remarkably, Tschida's Tommies never trailed in a 14-0 run through NCAA playoff games in 2004 and 2005.

He guided the 2006 Tommies to a 48-4 finish, including a 24-1 mark against conference foes, and second place in NCAA Division III. The 48 wins tied a Division III record, and the team's 72 home runs in 52 games shattered the old D-III season record.

UST was ranked No. 1 most of the 2007 season and finished 42-4, including a 25-0 mark vs. conference teams. The Toms had a 36-game winning streak halted in the regional tournament and were unable to return to the national tournament.

UST came back in 2008 with a 42-5 finish, including a 25-0 run in the MIAC. The 2009 Tommies were ranked as high as No. 2 nationally and finished 40-6 -- their sixth consecutive 40-win season. They won the conference playoff title for sixth time in the six-year history of the event.
In 2009 he led the Tommies to a 40-6 record overall (20-2 MIAC) and a second place finish in the MIAC. The Tommies defeated regular season champions Gustavus in the MIAC finals and received the top-seed in the NCAA regional the following week.

The 2010 Tommies finished as the MIAC regular season and postseason champs with a 40-8 record (21-1 MIAC). They reached NCAA postseason play for the 13th time in the past 14 seasons.

The 2011 Tommies posted a 42-6 record (22-0 MIAC), winning both the regular season and postseason crowns. They also improved to 24-0 all-time in the conference playoffs with eight titles in the eight-year history of the tournament. In addition, UST's John Tschida was named MIAC Coach of the Year. Tschida guided the Tommies to a 22-0 run to the MIAC championship and a 3-0 sweep of the MIAC playoffs. UST lost to No. 3-ranked Luther in the NCAA playoffs and finished the season ranked 20th in the final Division III rankings. Senior Cassie Smith was named conference player of the year, while junior Kayla Boward was named MIAC Pitcher of the Year. Boward being named Pitcher of the Year marked the eighth-year in a row that a Tommie pitcher has won the award.

The St. Paul native wanted a new challenge after leading St. Mary's to the championship, and he took the opportunity to come to St. Thomas in 2000. He reunited with his former high school baseball coach and mentor Dennis Denning, who has led St. Thomas to the 2001 and 2009 NCAA Division III baseball championships.

Tschida has brought the same level of excellence to Tommie softball in his first six seasons that he did in his program at St. Mary's. His first Tommie team in 2001 shared the MIAC championship with a 20-2 conference record, reached the NCAA playoffs and finished 35-9. UST broke eight team and individual records.

Tschida’s 2000 St. Mary's team won its last 16 games to finish 40-6. The Cardinals won their last nine regular-season games and earned one of five at-large berths nationally into the NCAA playoffs. They went 3-0 to win the regional and became the first MIAC softball team ever to reach the national finals. St. Mary’s then went 4-0 at nationals to capture the school’s first-ever NCAA championship in any sport.

As a player, Coach Tschida is a three-time ASA Class "A" All-American. He has competed in several ISC World Tournaments, ASA National Tournament, and NAFA World Series. In 1998, Tschida was the leadoff hitter for the ASA Class "A"  National Champion DMS Knights. In 2001, his IS Knights finished 10th in the World Championships.

"We’re excited to have John Tschida directing our softball program," said St. Thomas athletic director Steve Fritz. "His remarkable record at St. Mary’s speaks for itself. He brought a reputation as a coach who will attract and strive for excellence in the classroom, on campus, as well as on the field."

"I’ve known John Tschida a long time," said Denning. "Simply put he’s the best softball coach in the country."