Former UMD softball coach Jen Walter ready for DI challenge at St. Thomas

On Tuesday, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) head softball coach Jen Walter announced she’s departing the Bulldogs after accepting an assistant coaching position at the University of St. Thomas.

Walter said it was a bitter sweet decision, following 22 seasons coaching in the Northland. She spent the last six seasons at UMD, and 16 season before that at the College of St. Scholastica (CSS).

Now she’s ready for her next challenge, which will be helping the Tommies transition into their first season at the Division I level.

"It’s the only university ever to be able to go from Division III directly to Division I," Walter explained. "That’s a big part of the excitement that I feel."

She added that she will never forget the support she’s received ahead of the move from her softball community.

"To just see the outpouring of it makes me feel that the impact I had on the players, that I coached, was valuable to them," Walter said. "That makes everything worth it."

St. Thomas closed out its final Division III softball season in 2021 by placing fifth nationally with a 33-10 record.