Skip To Main Content

Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Skip Ad
Dan Paulson EIU Softball

Dan Paulson

Eastern Illinois 
* Hired as an assistant softball coach in July 2024 and moved to co-head coach position with wife Kristi Paulson
* Enters second season at EIU for 2025-26 academic year
* Posted a 34-22 record in opening season (2025) winning both OVC regular season and OVC tournament titles
* Team won 2025 OVC regular season championship with 21-5 record
* Team made 2025 NCAA Tournament appearance playing in Austin Regional (Texas eventual NCAA Champion)
* Won first EIU game in season opener on February 7, 2025 with 4-3 (8 inning) win over Prairie View A&M
* Picked up win over Big Ten member Illinois 
* Coached OVC Player of the Year Kendall Grover (2025)
* Coached OVC Pitcher of the Year McKenzie Oslanzi (2025)
* Coached five first team All-OVC selections in 2025
* Coached one second team All-OVC selection in 2025
* Coached two All-OVC Newcomer selections in 2025
* Coached NFCA All-Region selections (Kendall Grover & McKenzie Oslanzi)

Prior to Eastern Illinois
* Softball co-Head Coach at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois for five seasons
* Posted a 205-56 record in five seasons with three NJCAA Division II College World Series appearances
* Had three seasons with 50-plus wins including 58-6 record in 2024 (52 wins in 2023 / 53 wins in 2021)
* Made first of three NJCAA College World Series appearances in 2021 with seventh place finish
* Coached team to 5th place World Series finish in 2023 and 9th place World Series finish in 2024)
* Coached at least one NJCAA All-American pitcher in last four seasons with a total of six All-Americans
* Coached Parkland to four straight MWAC Conference Championships
* Named MWAC Coach of the Year four straight seasons (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
* Won three NJCAA Region 24 Championships 
* Created Premier Fastpitch in 2011, program has numerous Top-10 finishes in national tournaments
* Program has won eight Illinois State "A" Championships

Personal
* Attended Eastern Illinois University
* He and wife Kristi have four children
* Native of Mattoon, Illinois
.
School Year Overall Conference Other
Parkland College 2020 3-8 --- Season canceled due to COVID-19
Parkland College 2021 53-9 20-4 7th NJCAA Division II World Series
Parkland College 2022 39-21 19-5
Parkland College 2023 52-12 20-0 5th NJCAA Division II World Series
Parkland College 2024 58-6 23-1 9th NJCAA Division II World Series
Eastern Illinois 2025  34-22 21-5 OVC Champions, NCAA Tournament
Career Record 6 Years 239-56 103-15 -----
Parkland College 5 Years 205-56 82-10 3 NJCAA Division II World Series
Eastern Illinois 1 Year 34-22 21-5 1 OVC Championship, 1 NCAA Appearance
Skip Ad