Courtesy of Missouri Athletics
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Softball will welcome the addition of Doug Gillis to the program’s coaching staff in the role of assistant coach, head coach Ehren Earleywine announced Thursday. A former Team USA pitcher and International Softball Congress All-World selection, Gillis has been one of the premier fast-pitch pitching instructors around the country for more than 20 years.
Gillis will work primarily with Mizzou’s pitching staff, already under the continued tutelage of assistant coach Pete D’Amour.
“Doug is the best pitching coach anywhere,” Earleywine said. “What an enormous benefit it will be to our program to have him working with our pitchers on a daily basis.”
A six-time member of Team USA, Gillis was the only American selected to the ISC’s All-World team in 2010. He pitched the U.S. to a gold medal at the 2002 Pan-Am Games and followed that up with a silver medal in 2003. While playing internationally over four decades, Gillis participated in four Olympic Festivals and was also a member of two ISF World Championships squads for the United States (1996, 2004).
Gillis has privately consulted past Mizzou pitchers, including three-time first team All-American and three-time conference pitcher of the year Chelsea Thomas. Gillis’ softball academy has taught more than 350 students who have gone on to play at the collegiate level.
“I’m excited because I think this team can contend for a national championship,” Gillis said. “The pitching staff has a chance to be second to none. What really helps is the fact that I’ll be able to work more closely with the pitchers on a day-to-day basis and be at games. It’ll certainly be more effective coaching than in the past.”
