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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Softball’s DJ Gasso Promoted to Associate Head Coach
12/6/2022 11:25 AM | Softball
Coach Hogue: “DJ is in his third season here at Utah and his efforts have elevated our program tremendously.”
SALT LAKE CITY – DJ Gasso has been promoted to the position of associate head coach for Utah softball, head coach Amy Hogue announced on Tuesday.
Gasso's efforts as the team's hitting coach have helped the Utes improve on offense in each of his two seasons with the program. Under his tutelage, Utah's position players have captured postseason honors on both the conference and national level.
"I'm pleased to announce the promotion of assistant coach DJ Gasso to associate head coach of our softball team," said head coach Amy Hogue. "DJ is in his third season here at Utah and his efforts have elevated our program tremendously. When hiring DJ, I knew he would be bringing a wealth of knowledge of how to create a high-level offense because of his background in the sport with regards to the success of his mom and his brother at Oklahoma. What I didn't know was how determined he was and how willing he was to lead the way with his tireless efforts and commitment to this team and to greatness."
Gasso made an immediate impact on the Utah softball program in his first season in 2021. The Utes hit 46 home runs, the most by a Utah team since 2012, and scored 237 runs, their most since 2017. On Feb. 20, the Utes scored 14 runs in consecutive victories over California Baptist and UNLV, their highest scoring total in back-to-back games since 2011.
Among Gasso's pupils was Haley Denning, who led the Pac-12 in hits and stolen bases, ranking nationally fifth and tied for 11th, respectively, in those two categories. Her five triples placed her 15th in the NCAA and Ellessa Bonstrom ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in home runs in the regular season with a career high 14.
In his second season on coach Hogue's staff, Gasso assisted in guiding the Utes to 27 victories, their highest win total since 2017. His work with Utah's hitters helped the squad's batting average improve 22 points from 2021 to 2022 and the Utes also topped their run-scoring total from 2021 by touching home 257 times. The list of accomplishments for the Utes' position players in 2022 included placing two student-athletes on the All-Pac-12 first-team for the first time since 2016, as Bonstrom and Julia Jimenez both earned all-conference spots.
Gasso was instrumental in Jimenez's transformation after she transferred to Utah from Michigan and she piled up a team-high 52 RBIs in her first season at as Ute while simultaneously raising her batting average from .293 as a sophomore to .325 as a junior. That stat line was good enough to garner her an NFCA All-Pacific first-team selection.
Bonstrom's 2022 season saw her hit .376 and set career highs in hits, runs scored, RBIs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. At season's end, she became the Utes' first All-American since Hannah Flippen in 2017.
"I am very particular when it comes to hiring my staff and those who will be working alongside me in leading our student-athletes on the field," said Hogue. "DJ exemplified the character qualities I was looking for and has shown over the time he has been here that he is trustworthy and is an invaluable member of our coaching staff.
"I am grateful for his leadership and am excited to see how his hard work can help this program take that next step towards our return to the Women's College World Series."
After spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma, Gasso officially joined Hogue's staff in June of 2020. In his first season in Norman in 2019, the Sooners finished as the National Runner-Up and they were ranked No. 4 in the nation when the season was halted in 2020.
Gasso graduated from Bradley University in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in communication and earned a master's degree in intercollegiate athletics administration at OU. DJ and his wife Grace were married in June 2021 and they welcomed a son named Parker to the family in September of 2022.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
Gasso's efforts as the team's hitting coach have helped the Utes improve on offense in each of his two seasons with the program. Under his tutelage, Utah's position players have captured postseason honors on both the conference and national level.
"I'm pleased to announce the promotion of assistant coach DJ Gasso to associate head coach of our softball team," said head coach Amy Hogue. "DJ is in his third season here at Utah and his efforts have elevated our program tremendously. When hiring DJ, I knew he would be bringing a wealth of knowledge of how to create a high-level offense because of his background in the sport with regards to the success of his mom and his brother at Oklahoma. What I didn't know was how determined he was and how willing he was to lead the way with his tireless efforts and commitment to this team and to greatness."
Gasso made an immediate impact on the Utah softball program in his first season in 2021. The Utes hit 46 home runs, the most by a Utah team since 2012, and scored 237 runs, their most since 2017. On Feb. 20, the Utes scored 14 runs in consecutive victories over California Baptist and UNLV, their highest scoring total in back-to-back games since 2011.
Among Gasso's pupils was Haley Denning, who led the Pac-12 in hits and stolen bases, ranking nationally fifth and tied for 11th, respectively, in those two categories. Her five triples placed her 15th in the NCAA and Ellessa Bonstrom ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in home runs in the regular season with a career high 14.
In his second season on coach Hogue's staff, Gasso assisted in guiding the Utes to 27 victories, their highest win total since 2017. His work with Utah's hitters helped the squad's batting average improve 22 points from 2021 to 2022 and the Utes also topped their run-scoring total from 2021 by touching home 257 times. The list of accomplishments for the Utes' position players in 2022 included placing two student-athletes on the All-Pac-12 first-team for the first time since 2016, as Bonstrom and Julia Jimenez both earned all-conference spots.
Gasso was instrumental in Jimenez's transformation after she transferred to Utah from Michigan and she piled up a team-high 52 RBIs in her first season at as Ute while simultaneously raising her batting average from .293 as a sophomore to .325 as a junior. That stat line was good enough to garner her an NFCA All-Pacific first-team selection.
Bonstrom's 2022 season saw her hit .376 and set career highs in hits, runs scored, RBIs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. At season's end, she became the Utes' first All-American since Hannah Flippen in 2017.
"I am very particular when it comes to hiring my staff and those who will be working alongside me in leading our student-athletes on the field," said Hogue. "DJ exemplified the character qualities I was looking for and has shown over the time he has been here that he is trustworthy and is an invaluable member of our coaching staff.
"I am grateful for his leadership and am excited to see how his hard work can help this program take that next step towards our return to the Women's College World Series."
After spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma, Gasso officially joined Hogue's staff in June of 2020. In his first season in Norman in 2019, the Sooners finished as the National Runner-Up and they were ranked No. 4 in the nation when the season was halted in 2020.
Gasso graduated from Bradley University in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in communication and earned a master's degree in intercollegiate athletics administration at OU. DJ and his wife Grace were married in June 2021 and they welcomed a son named Parker to the family in September of 2022.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
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