SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Deanna Gumpf, the all-time winningest head coach in Notre Dame athletics history, has announced her retirement. Gumpf amassed 882 wins over 23 seasons as the head softball coach at Notre Dame, a run that included 21 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, five National Fastpitch Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year honors, 13 NCAA regional final appearances, 11 BIG EAST titles (seven regular-season, four tournaments), 24 NFCA All-Americans, eight conference players of the year, four conference pitchers of the year and one defensive player of the year.
“Notre Dame softball has been one of the greatest gifts I have ever received and I am incredibly grateful to have had the honor of leading this program over the past 23 years.” Gumpf said, “This has been an incredible journey. Retiring has not been an easy decision, but it is the right decision.”
“I am indebted to every player who has worn the Irish uniform, my coaching staff who have given their hearts to our program and my support staff who have worked tirelessly to make us better. I am so grateful for my administration who have been so supportive of me and this program over the years. I am filled with gratitude for all the people who make Notre Dame softball what it is. It’s so much more than just softball.”
Gumpf assumed the head coach position at Notre Dame in 2002, taking over for NFCA Hall of Famer Liz Miller after serving as an assistant under Miller for four seasons. Gumpf would then compile a streak of 18 consecutive seasons with at least 30 wins (before the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and won 30 or more games in 21 of her 22 full seasons. Her .692 winning percentage (882-390-2) ranked among the top-20 active coaches.
“Deanna’s overwhelmingly successful tenure as a leader of student-athletes at Notre Dame will forever have a place in our athletics history,” said University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua. “Her unwavering commitment to providing her team with an unmatched student-athlete experience that focuses on creating a winning culture in the classroom and on the field is a lesson to coaches here at Notre Dame and around the country. In my short time as Athletic Director, it has been wonderful to see the love that Deanna, her husband, John, and their children, Brady and Tatum, have for this University and I truly hope that we will continue to see them on campus for years to come.”
During Gumpf’s tenure, 15 different Notre Dame players earned NFCA All-America honors, with Andrea Loman (2002-03), Megan Ciolli (2004-05), Emilee Koerner (2013-15) and Karley Wester (2014 & 2016) earning multiple All-American honors. Koerner, the 2015 ACC Player of the Year, became the first player in program history to earn three All-America accolades after being named to that season’s NFCA All-America Third Team. She copped second-team honors in 2013 to go with a third-team honor in 2014.
The Irish have also produced 102 NFCA all-region performers, eight conference players of the year, four conference pitchers of the year, two conference freshman of the year selections, a defensive player of the year honoree, 131 all-conference recipients, four USA Softball National Player of the Year finalists (Karina Gaskins – 2022, Abby Sweet, 2021, Karley Wester – 2015-16, Emilee Koerner – 2013) and three NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year finalists (Jane Kronenberger – 2022, Ali Wester – 2016, Karley Wester – 2014) since 2002.
In addition to its triumphs on the field, the Notre Dame softball program has made its mark in the greater South Bend community through various philanthropic endeavors. The Irish have received the Notre Dame Trophy Award, presented to a varsity athletics team exhibiting excellence in community service, eight of the last nine years, thanks primarily to the success of the program’s Strikeout Cancer initiative.
Established in 2011 in support of the Gumpf family after daughter Tatum was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the summer of 2010, Notre Dame’s Strikeout Cancer leukemia awareness campaign has raised more than $250,000 in its first eight years of existence and set a new record for the event in 2024, raising more than $80,000. All proceeds directly benefit South Bend’s Memorial Children’s Hospital and children throughout the state of Indiana who have been diagnosed with cancer. Tatum has been in remission since the fall of 2012, and will be attending the University of Kentucky in the fall.
Deanna and her husband John have two children, Tatum, and Brady, who is a senior on the 2023-24 Notre Dame baseball team.
A national search will begin immediately to find the next head softball coach for the University of Notre Dame.
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