The Athletics Department announced in July that Bill Vasko has been hired as head coach of the Red Flash softball team.
He becomes the 14th head coach in program history and replaces Beth Krysiak, who left SFU earlier this summer to become the head coach at Boston College.
Vasko has 15 years of experience as a collegiate softball coach, and 31 years of coaching experience overall. He coached at Frostburg State before coming to SFU.
Vasko graduated from Ohio State in 1994 and is a native of Cambridge, Ohio.
“Change is always difficult, but change brings all kinds of growth and opportunity,” said Vasko. “My favorite part has been the sense of community here at Saint Francis.
“From the moment I stepped on campus, I’ve felt a genuine warmth from the people. Everyone truly supports one another, and you can feel that it’s more than just academics and athletics—it’s about building lifelong relationships and being part of a family.”
He served as head coach at Frostburg State for the last seven seasons and is the second-winningest coach in that program’s history.
Vasko said that coaching under great mentors early in his early career has helped him.
“The years of recruiting, building programs, and working with student-athletes on both the athletic and academic sides have shown me how important it is to invest in the whole person.
“Those experiences—successes and challenges alike—taught me how to run a program with balance, accountability and care.”
In addition to serving as head coach at Frostburg State, Vasko also served in that role at Wheeling Jesuit from 2008-11.
He said he is excited to make his mark at Saint Francis.
“I’m most excited about the opportunity to build something special here with this group of players.
“Transition periods can be challenging, but they also present a chance to create a new identity and set the tone for the future.”
