DePaul University Softball

Liz Bouck-Jagielski was named the sixth head coach in program history on June 11, 2024, and will embark on her second season as the head coach at her alma mater during the 2025-26 school year. In her inaugural season at the helm she led the Blue Demons to a 16-32 record, a seven-win increase from the previous season, notching her first win as head coach against Detroit Mercy on February 7, 2025. Under her tutelage, Baylee Cosgrove was named to the All-BIG EAST second team, the first conference recognition of her career, and the Blue Demons improved their team batting average from .228 to .256. Bouck-Jagielski, a former Blue Demon letterwinner from 2000-2003, and member of the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame, returned to Lincoln Park after a career that included helping lead the Blue Demons to four NCAA Tournaments and the program’s second Women’s College World Series in 2000. Bouck-Jagielski earned second team All-American and Conference USA Player of the Year honors in 2002. Following her playing career, Bouck-Jagielski served as an assistant coach for the Blue Demons from 2004-2011. During her time as an assistant, she helped DePaul return to the Women’s College World Series in 2005 and 2007, in addition to seven NCAA Tournament berths during her tenure. Bouck-Jagielski led the Blue Demon’s defensive efforts, helping the team record a season-best .986 fielding percentage in 2007. The South Holland, Ill. native graduated from DePaul in 2004 and played professional softball for

Abby Ramirez was named assistant softball coach in October 2021, returning to Lincoln Park after serving as an interim assistant coach in the spring of 2021....

Sutcliffe arrived in Chicago in August 2024 following a 12-year stint as the head coach at Northern Illinois, where she was the third-winningest coach in program history. Prior to her time in DeKalb, Sutcliffe spent seven seasons as the pitching coach at Miami University, where the RedHawks won a pair of MAC titles and set records for wins in a season and conference wins. During her tenure in Oxford, Sutcliffe tutored 25 All-Mid-American selections while five RedHawks earned NFCA All-Region honors. Her coaching career began in 2002, where she was an assistant coach at Chattanooga before earning her first head coaching position at Rhode Island (2003-2005). Sutcliffe was a four-year letter winner at Florida Atlantic (FAU) from 1997-2001, helping the Owls win five Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) Tournament Championships. Sutcliffe compiled a career record of 67-23 in the pitcher's circle with 351 strikeouts, a 1.47 ERA, 25 shutouts and two no-hitters. A four-time All-TAAC selection and was named the TAAC Tournament MVP in 1997. Sutcliffe received her bachelor's degree in mathematics in 2000 and her master's in curriculum and instruction in 2001 from FAU. She was inducted into the FAU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.

Jimmy Duba began his role at DePaul as Director of Sports Performance in August of 2016, before being elevated to Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance. He currently works with softball, women's tennis, volleyball and track and field's throwers and serves as a member of the Athletics Department's senior leadership team. Duba brings experience to DePaul in working with both collegiate and professional basketball. Prior to joining the Blue Demons, Duba served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings (2008-10) and was the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs head strength and conditioning coach (2008-09). Previously, Duba worked for DePaul as the assistant director of sports performance for four seasons in his first stint in Lincoln Park, finishing up in 2013. He was strength and conditioning coach of the Charlotte men's basketball team from 2013-2016. Duba spent two seasons in Storrs, Connecticut as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at UConn where he primarily worked with the Huskies' basketball and women's volleyball programs from 2006-08. As a graduate assistant he earned his Master's degree in Exercise Science and Strength and Conditioning. He earned his undergraduate degree from UW-La Crosse in 2006 and spent time with the Chicago Bulls during the 2005-06 season as a strength and conditioning intern. Duba resides in Chicago and enjoys Olympic weight lifting in his free time.

Kate O'Brien, Ph.D. is responsible for the overall coordination of DePaul's Athletic Academic Advising (AAA) and Student-Athlete Development Programs. In addition to overseeing the staff and day-to-day operations of the program, she serves as the primary academic advisor for the Blue Demons softball team and a member of DePaul Athletics' senior leadereship team. Under O'Brien's leadership, AAA works to ensure that each student-athlete maximizes their academic potential, has an excellent educational experience and leaves DePaul ready for life after intercollegiate athletics. Prior to taking her current position in July of 2001, O'Brien spent a year as the Athletic Academic Advisor/Career Coordinator in DePaul's Office of Athletic Academic Advising. Before joining the athletics department, O'Brien spent three years as an academic advisor for DePaul's College of Commerce where she advised a variety of students on graduation requirements, major and minor selection and DePaul University policies. O'Brien also coordinated all aspects of the Premiere DePaul program within the College of Commerce including faculty advisor recruitment, selection, evaluation, training and supervision. O'Brien also serves as an adjunct faculty member at DePaul working in the University Internship Program and Chicago Quarter. Each Fall she offers an Explore Chicago class that focuses on the socioeconomic impact sport has had on the city of Chicago. In Winter and Spring, she teaches two student-athlete ca

Executive Associate Athletics Director, Development & Assistant Vice President, Athletics Advancement ADMINISTRATOR–Softball

Paul Stromberg began his role as Assistant Athletics Director of Communications in July of 2022. Stromberg is the primary contact for the men's soccer, women's basketball and women's tennis programs. In addition to his sport responsibilities, Stromberg also oversees the official DePaul Blue Demons app and the Communications student program. Prior to stepping into his current position, Stromberg was a communications assistant at DePaul from 2020-2022. In the 2019-20 academic year, Stromberg served as a communications assistant at the BIG EAST Conference in Manhattan. While at the league office, Stromberg served as the primary contact for volleyball, swimming & diving, softball and tennis with secondary support for women's basketball. Additional responsibilities including providing operational assistance at Olympic sports championships including field hockey, volleyball and swimming & diving while working at BIG EAST men's and women's basketball tournaments as well as BIG EAST media day. Previous stints include roles at baseball agency, Independent Sports and Entertainment (ISE), as well as business management consultant, Arena Partners. A Baltimore, Md. native, Stromberg graduated from DePaul cum laude with a bachelors of science in marketing in 2019 and completed his master's in business administration from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in 2022.

Rachel Wilhelm first joined DePaul Athletics in January 2024, through a partnership with RUSH Physical Therapy. Prior to arriving at DePaul, Wilhelm worked with RUSH PT as an athletic trainer at Roosevelt University where she worked with the schools football, women's soccer, softball, men's hockey and women's hockey teams. Wilhelm has previously worked with DePaul softball and currently works with the men's soccer and men's golf programs. During the summer of 2024, Wilhelm served as an athletic trainer for a variety of events around Chicago including Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball and Chicago Red Stars Academy Soccer Camps, among other Chicagoland youth, high school and collegiate events. Before joining RUSH Physical Therapy, Wilhelm worked as a certified athletic trainer for The Willows Academy where she worked with the schools middle school and high school sports programs. Wilhelm also has experience as a student athletic trainer at Saint Louis, Schaumburg Boomers and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Wilhelm graduated from Saint Louis University (SLU) in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, before eventually earning her Master of Athletic training in 2020. Wilhelm currently holds LAT, ATC and BLS certifications.