Andrew Klaus has accepted the position of assistant softball coach at Lee University and he becomes the university’s first full-time assistant softball coach.
The native of Clarkston, Mich. served as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State University for one year before moving to East Central University and serving as the Oklahoma school’s assistant coach for the past two years.
During his two seasons at East Central, the softball team racked up 75 wins against 38 defeats.
In 2012, East Central recorded an impressive 42-13 mark.
Not only does Klaus bring an impressive coaching resume to the table, his academic marks are off the charts. While playing baseball, he was named to the Oklahoma Panhandle President’s Honor Roll four times and to the Heartland Conference President’s Honor after registering a 4.0 GPA.
“We are very excited about having Andy join our program,” said Lee head coach Emily Russell. “He is a great young coach. Andy has served as a hitting coach for the last three seasons at Oklahoma schools. He has played and coached at the NCAA Division II level, which will be another great asset for our program.”
Russell added, “Andy has already been out on the road recruiting. We are pleased to have him with us this year as a full-time coach. We will be able to continue to develop our program toward being one of the best in Division II.”
His resume speaks about his outstanding technical, tactical and strategic knowledge of softball, and it identifies his excellent leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.
Klaus shares Russell’s same excitement about landing the Lee job. The former Oklahoma Panhandle baseball player said he was asked to help out with the Oklahoma Panhandle softball team in the fall. “It was the luck of the draw. I fell in love with the sport and knew immediately that is what I wanted to do. My overall goal is to become a Division I head coach.”
As soon as Klaus saw the Lee position posted, he said he thought it would be a good opportunity for advancement in his career. “I was ready for a change of scenery. I knew that coach Russell had done a good job of building a power when Lee was a member of the NAIA. I want to help her build the same type of program in the Gulf South Conference and Division II.”
Klaus came to Lee for an interview three weeks ago. “The scenery in this area is great and Cleveland seems to be a growing town. The campus is gorgeous.”
He noted that he would bring knowledge, dedication and a work ethic that will hopefully not be matched by any other team in the country. “I am really excited that coach Russell has brought me here. Our goals are the same: win the conference championship and build toward the Division II national title.”