Andy Klaus enters his second season as an assistant coach with the Norfolk State softball program in 2017. He serves as the team’s hitting and infield coach and is also be in charge of running NSU’s various camps.
In his first year in the program in 2016, the Spartans set a school record and finished eighth in the country with an average of 1.70 doubles per game, thanks in part to Megan Dunning’s MEAC-leading total of 14. She also ranked fifth in the nation in doubles per game, while Kayla McNair ranked in the top 60 in on-base percentage. They were two of four regular starters to hit above .300 on the year.
The Spartans also ended the year 67th in the nation in scoring at 5.26 runs per game. NSU earned its second straight MEAC Northern Division second-place finish at 11-6 during Klaus’ first year with the program while totaling 18 wins overall.
Klaus arrived at NSU after a successful four-year run as the hitting coach at three Division II schools.
He served as an assistant coach at Lee University in Tennessee during the 2015 season, where he coached the team’s outfielders in addition to the hitters. He helped lead the Lady Flames to a 36-19 overall record and a third-place finish at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Championship. They finished with the Gulf South Conference’s top batting average at .328, and four players earned NCCAA all-region honors, including Mid-East Region Player of the Year Kaylie Drew.
Prior to his one year at Lee University, Klaus coached the hitters and outfielders for two seasons at East Central University in Oklahoma from 2013-14. The program went 42-13 in his first year and compiled 75 wins over Klaus’ two years there. In his first season in 2013, the Lady Tigers ranked third in Division II with a team-record .353 batting average and 11th nationally with a .523 slugging percentage.
Klaus mentored Great American Conference Player of the Year Shelby Simmons, who hit a league-best .456 and earned Daktronics All-America honorable mention and All-Region first team honors in ’13.
Altogether, East Central players were named all-conference 11 times and all-region twice during Klaus’ two seasons. The Lady Tigers led the league both years in batting average, on-base percentage, hits and RBI.
Klaus began his coaching career at his alma mater Oklahoma Panhandle State in 2012, again working with the hitters and outfielders. The Aggies saw an 18-win improvement from the previous year and their team batting average jump 71 points during his one season there. Under Klaus’ guidance, the team finished second in the Heartland Conference in batting average, slugging, runs, hits and RBI. Four players were named all-conference, including Julie Cross, who ranked fifth in the nation with a .476 average.
A collegiate baseball player at Oklahoma Panhandle, Klaus hit .308 for his career and earned second-team All-Heartland Conference honors in 2010. A native of Clarkston, Mich., he was a member of the President’s Honor Roll seven times with a 4.0 GPA. Klaus was also named the Most Outstanding HPER Student in 2009 and ‘10 and to the Heartland Conference All-Academic President’s Honor Roll in 2010 and ‘11.
Klaus graduated in December of 2011 with a bachelor’s of science degree in education from Oklahoma Panhandle State. He also received his masters of education in sports administration from East Central University in May of 2014.
