Christy Connoyer, who was named the 10th head coach of the Saint Louis University softball program Aug. 6, 2010, will serve her third season at the Billiken controls during the 2013 campaign.

In her first season at the helm, Connoyer guided the Billikens to a 29-24 overall record, just one victory shy of tying the school record, and a 10-8 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. She became the first coach in program history to register a winning record in her first season.

The 2011 Billikens achieved an NCAA Division I Ratings Percentage Index final ranking of 129, a program best and a jump of 22 places from the 2010 team's 151 rating. SLU set school records for on-base percentage (.347) - 14 points higher than the previous standard - and walks (139) while tying the school mark for shutouts (13). The Bills were second or tied for second on the program's all-time season charts in six other categories, and their .987 fielding percentage in A-10 games led the league.

Following her successful debut season, Connoyer wasted no time putting her program to the test in 2012. The Billikens squared off against eight teams that went on to reach the NCAA Tournament, including a pair of regional champions.

"We are excited to have Christy Connoyer as our head softball coach," SLU director of athletics Chris May said. "Christy is from our region, she's familiar with the St. Louis-area softball scene, and she brings a wealth of Division I coaching experience to the position. We believe she will be able to recruit the caliber of student-athletes who will allow SLU to contend for Atlantic 10 Conference titles. Christy knows what it takes to win, having been part of successful programs as a player and as a coach. Her commitment to academic excellence and passion for competitive success match our goals at Saint Louis University."

"Being the head coach at Saint Louis University is a fantastic opportunity," Connoyer said. "There is a tradition of excellence in academics and athletics at SLU, and I am excited for the opportunity to build on that tradition. I'm from the area and still have family close, so I'm thrilled to return to such a great city. I am passionate about softball and academics, and there is an amazing combination of the two at Saint Louis."

A native of Bethalto, Ill., Connoyer arrived at SLU following five seasons as associate head coach at Southern Illinois, where she contributed to a highly successful program while working primarily with the Salukis' hitting and defense. During her tenure, SIU consistently was ranked among the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference in several statistical categories. Connoyer also coordinated travel, camps and the team's annual fund-raiser in addition to scheduling umpires and serving as the team's community service liaison.

SIU made two NCAA Tournament appearances (2006 and 2007) during Connoyer's tenure and earned the highest National Fastpitch Coaches Association ranking in school history (No. 18 in 2008 and 2009). Academically, Southern Illinois had the second-highest team GPA in the nation in 2007. In 2010, Connoyer and her colleagues received Missouri Valley Conference Coaching Staff of the Year accolades after leading the Salukis to the league's regular-season title.

In Connoyer's first season at SIU, the Salukis led the conference with a .283 team batting average and ranked 15th nationally in triples per game. During her second campaign, the squad led the MVC and ranked fifth in the nation in fielding percentage (.976). SIU finished with the league's second-highest batting average in 2008 and 2009.

Prior to her stint at Southern Illinois, Connoyer spent one season as head coach at the University of Tulsa. She guided the Golden Hurricane to a 31-30 mark in 2005, becoming the first coach in program history to compile a winning record in her first season. Two of those wins were against in-state rival and perennial power No. 5 Oklahoma, the highest-ranked opponent Tulsa had ever defeated.

Connoyer's first foray into coaching was at Purdue, where she spent eight seasons as an assistant coach. She assisted with hitting and defensive instruction, coordination of team travel and scheduling umpires in addition to on- and off-campus recruiting. Connoyer also served as the team's liaison to academic services and athletic media relations.

Before making the move to Purdue, Connoyer was the head varsity volleyball coach and assistant varsity basketball and softball coach at Loyola College Preparatory in Shreveport, La. She led the new volleyball program to a pair of state tournament appearances and helped the softball team win the 1996 Class 2A state championship.

During her playing career, Connoyer was a four-time first-team All-Conference selection at the University of Notre Dame. She received team MVP honors in 1993 and was voted team captain in 1994. Connoyer's playing career culminated with an Olympic Level II tryout in 1995. She graduated from Notre Dame in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in government and international studies. Connoyer went on to earn a master's degree in teaching from the University of Portland (Notre Dame, Ind.) in 1996.