Jamie Trachsel (pronounced TRAX-el) – who was instrumental in building a championship program with nearly annual participation in NCAA Regional play at North Dakota State in recent years – was named the head softball coach at Iowa State University.
Trachsel was a member of the Bison softball staff the previous 14 seasons, including the last six as co-head coach with Darren Mueller.
In those half-dozen seasons, NDSU compiled a 221-109 overall record (.670), a 98-19 mark (.838) in the Summit League and advanced to NCAA Regional play five times. The Bison won their conference regular-season championship and the tournament championship five times each with Trachsel as co-head coach.
North Dakota State won at least 30 games – including a school-record 45 in 2015 when it climbed as high as 41st in the NCAA Percentage Ratings Index (RPI) – for 10 straight seasons. The Bison advanced to the NCAA Regionals seven of the last eight years. The 2009 club won the Norman (Okla.) Regional to advance to the NCAA Super Regional in Tempe (Ariz.).
Her tenure with NDSU began with two seasons (2002-04) as a graduate assistant, followed by three (2005-07) as an assistant coach, three (2008-10) as associate head coach and the last six (2011-16) as co-head coach.
Trachsel, one of the sport’s fast-rising head coaching prospects, has long been ready to run her own program and Iowa State was the perfect fit.
Her direct responsibilities at North Dakota State included team defense, recruiting and coordinating scouting. Trachsel has experience coaching catchers, infielders and outfielders and she called all pitches from the dugout for the Bison.
NDSU has led the Summit League and ranked 39th, 22nd and 21st nationally the last three seasons in fielding percentage. The Bison ranked eighth nationally in fielding percentage (.976) and were 12th in double plays in 2009.
In 2016, NDSU was 8-8 vs. Power 5 Conference teams and defeated then No. 2-ranked Alabama, 2-1, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Bison finished the season with a 39-15 record, went undefeated (17-0) in conference play and advanced to the NCAA Seattle Regional.
Individual accolades have been plentiful during Trachsel’s tenure. She coached four All-Americans, 19 All-Region players and 54 All-Summit League players at NDSU. Additionally, 11 student-athletes received conference Player, Pitcher or Freshman/Newcomer awards.
She has also been on coaching staffs that were honored eight times, including NFCA Division I Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year on three occassions (2009, 2015 and 2016). Trachsel is well respected among peers and lectured at the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association convention on training drills for outfielders. She was featured in an ESPNW story for her tactical defensive skills.
Trachsel also helped transition the Bison program from Division II to Division I. After placing seventh and third at the Division II national championship in 2002 and 2003, North Dakota State moved up to the highest level in college softball. It didn’t take long for the school to establish itself as a national contender in their new classification.
Off the field, Trachsel has coordinated the volunteer hours/opportunities for the softball program in the community. She was instrumental in setting up a system of collecting toiletry items that are distributed to the women's shelter and Churches United Homeless Shelter.
As a player at St. Cloud State (1998-2000), she led the Huskies to three straight NCAA Division II tournament appearances and one conference title. Trachsel made the 1999 NCAA Division II All-Region Tournament Team and received All-Academic honors from the NFCA twice. SCSU won 127 games during her career.
As a prep athlete, Trachsel earned 17 letters (softball 6, tennis 5, basketball 5 and soccer 1) at Duluth (Minn.) Central High School. She is also a nine-time national champion in racquetball (1988-93 and 2003-05).
Trachsel earned a B.S. degree in sports management (minors in coaching and human relations) from St. Cloud State in 2001. She added a Master of Education degree (in athletics administration) from North Dakota State in 2006.
