Zack Parsons

Zack Parsons was named an assistant coach in August of 2024.

Parsons most recently was on the coaching staff at Murray State, starting as a graduate assistant in the fall of 2020 before being promoted to assistant coach in 2022.

Under Parsons, the Murray State pitching staff reached unprecedented heights. Over the last four seasons, Racer pitchers recorded the four lowest ERAs in program history. The team set multiple program records during the 2022 season, most notably a program record 1.46 ERA, which also ranked second in Division I that season. MSU also posted a program-best .194 opponent batting average, 1.22 walks per seven innings, and strikeouts per seven innings with 6.37.

During the 2023 season, the Racers posted a team ERA of 2.03, second-best in program history. The team ERA in 2024 of 2.40 ranks third all-time and a combined 2.61 ERA in 2021 is fourth-best all-time.

Parsons was instrumental in Hannah James being named the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Pitcher of the Year in 2022. Under his coaching, James would go on to earn National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-Region honors in 2023, in addition to All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) First Team and MVC All-Tournament Team honors. She was also named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team in 2022. He also coached Jenna Veber, who was named to the All-MVC First Team this past season and the All-OVC Second Team in 2022.

Prior to MSU, Parsons began his collegiate coaching journey at Asbury University where he was named the interim head coach for the 2019 season before having the interim tag removed for the 2020 season.

Before Asbury, he was an assistant coach in 2018 at East Jessamine High School in Nicholasville, Kentucky, where he helped the Lady Jaguars finish as the 12th Region runner-up and the 46th District champions with a 28-3 record.

He also has an extensive background in travel softball, coaching for the Fury Fastpitch Bray under the Connect Sports/Fury Fastpitch organization (Chattanooga, Tenn.), formerly known as the Jinx Elite organization (Richmond, Ky.). The 2021-22 showcase travel ball team has competed on the national level.

He received his undergraduate degree in exercise science from Georgetown College in 2015. He completed his master’s degree from the University of Louisville in counseling & personnel services in 2017.