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Jenny Allard

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Jenny Allard
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamPittsburgh
ConferenceACC
Record17–32 (.347)
Biographical details
Born1968 (age 55–56)[1]
Irvine, California
Alma materMichigan
Playing career
1987-1990Michigan
Position(s)Third baseman
Pitcher
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992-1994Iowa (asst.)
1995-2023Harvard
2024-PresentPittsburgh
Head coaching record
Overall705–550–4 (.562)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • 9× Ivy League Regular Season Champions (1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2023)
  • Ivy League Tournament Champions (2023)

Jennifer Lynn Allard (born 1968) is a former All-American softball player at the University of Michigan and the current head coach of the University of Pittsburgh softball team.[2] Allard played for the Michigan Wolverines softball team from 1987–1990, where she was named an All-Big Ten player four straight years. She was a third baseman as a freshman and sophomore and a pitcher as a junior and senior. In 1989, Allard was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and a nominee for the Honda-Broderick Cup. She has been the head coach at Harvard since 1995, where she led the Crimson to its first Ivy League championship in 1992 and has followed with three more Ivy League crowns. In 1997, Allard told her team that she was a lesbian, becoming one of the first major college coaches to openly announce her homosexuality. In 2008, Allard was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.

University of Michigan (1987–1990)

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After graduating from Woodbridge High School in Irvine, California,[3] Allard played softball for Hall of Fame coach Carol Hutchins at the University of Michigan from 1987-1990.[4] She began at Michigan as a third baseman, but became a pitcher in her junior and senior years.[5] As a freshman, Allard led the Wolverines with 26 RBIs, while hitting .331, second best on the team.[4] She led the team in batting average in 1988 and 1989 and was named an All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year in 1989.[4] She was also a four-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors as a senior.[5] In 1989, Allard was also nominated for the Honda Broderick Award. She was the recipient of Michigan’s Conference Medal of Honor, an award given to the highest-achieving female student-athlete. Named to the Big Ten All-Decade team in 1992, Allard ranked in the top four all-time in 15 hitting and pitching categories at the time of her graduation from Michigan.[5] In 2008, Allard was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, only the fourth softball player inducted into the Hall (after Penny Neer, Vicki Morrow, and Alicia Seegert).[4]

Head coach at Harvard (1995–2023)

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In 1992, Allard accepted a full-time coaching position as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa. In 1995, Allard accepted the head coaching position for the Harvard University softball team. She was the head coach at Harvard for 29 seasons, compiling a career record of 688-518-4.[5] She holds a 334-123-1 record in the Ivy League.[5] Harvard has won nine Ivy League softball titles in its history, all during Allard’s time as coach.[5] Allard has also been Harvard’s coach during each of its four 30-win seasons and its eight NCAA Championship berths.[5] She has coached 33 first-team All-Ivy League players selections, seven Ivy League Players of the Year, eight Ivy Pitchers of the Year and seven Ivy Rookies of the Year.[5]

In 1998, Allard led Harvard to the best season in the history of the program, as the team recorded a 34-22 record, captured its first Ivy League championship with a perfect 12–0 league record and earned its first bid to the NCAA Championship, where it defeated Boston College in the regional.[5][6] The Crimson was led in 1998 by Ivy Player of the Year Tara LaSovage and Pitcher of the Year Tasha Cupp.[5]

In 2000, Allard’s team won its second Ivy League championship and NCAA tournament berth. The 2000 Crimson went 11-1 in league play. In 2001, Harvard again won the Ivy League title after posting an 11–3 League record. In 2002, the team had a 31-10 record in 2002, breaking the record set by the 1998 team, and winning the ECAC championship.[5] In 2007, Harvard won its fourth Ivy League championship under Allard with a record of 31–15 record and a 14–6 record in the Conference.[5] Harvard also won back-to-back Ivy championships in 2011 and 2012.[7]

Allard earned a master's degree from the Harvard School of Education in 1999 and a master's in psychology from the Harvard Extension School in 2003.[5]

Head coach at Pittsburgh (2024–Present)

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On June 19, 2023, Allard was named the head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers softball team.[8][9]

Personal life

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In 1997, Allard told her team that she was a lesbian, becoming one of the first major college coaches to openly affirm her homosexuality.[10][11] Allard made the announcement to her players in an email. "What I wrote," Allard recalled, "was something like, 'I know you'll potentially be stopping by my suite or calling, and I just want to let you know that my partner has decided to move on campus with me and you'll soon get the opportunity to meet her.'"[10] She added, "I wanted to be very honest about how I was living and not be shamed or silenced by it. I ask and expect my athletes to be honest about things. They don't have to tell me everything, but if they are going to tell me something, I want them to be truthful. And because I want to model that, I couldn't tell them I'm hiding my partner behind the left field fence and I'm embarrassed to have them know her."[10] Allard has spoken at conferences on the subject of homosexuality in athletics and has become an advocate for the rights of gay and lesbian athletes. "As a coach, I'd like to see increased dialogue among teams, and resources for gay athletes need to come more to the forefront," she said. "It's a big learning experience to have a gay athlete on the team."[11]

Head coaching record

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[12][13]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Harvard Crimson (Ivy League) (1995–2023)
1995 Harvard 28–14 9–3 2nd
1996 Harvard 21–17 9–3 2nd
1997 Harvard 32–19–1 8–4 2nd
1998 Harvard 34–22 12–0 1st NCAA Regional
1999 Harvard 20–18 10–2 2nd
2000 Harvard 19–21 11–1 1st NCAA Regional
2001 Harvard 22–23 11–3 T-1st
2002 Harvard 31–10 12–2 2nd
2003 Harvard 15–26 7–7 4th
2004 Harvard 22–20–1 9–5 3rd
2005 Harvard 18–20 9–5 3rd
2006 Harvard 20–24 6–8 5th
2007 Harvard 31–15 14–6 1st (North) NCAA Regional
2008 Harvard 25–22 14–6 1st (North)
2009 Harvard 27–17 12–8 2nd (North)
2010 Harvard 27–23 17–3 1st (North)


2011 Harvard 36–16 18–2 1st (North) NCAA Regional
2012 Harvard 35–15 17–3 1st (North) NCAA Regional
2013 Harvard 28–15–1 14–3–1 2nd (North)
2014 Harvard 22–22 12–8 2nd (North)
2015 Harvard 23–21 13–7 2nd (North)
2016 Harvard 29–17 16–4 1st (North)
2017 Harvard 22–19 13–7 1st (North)
2018 Harvard 23–18 14–7 2nd NCAA Regional
2019 Harvard 25–19 16–5 1st NCAA Regional
2020 Harvard 2–8 0–0 Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Harvard 0–0 0–0 Ivy League opted-out of the season
2022 Harvard 22–20 15–6 2nd
2023 Harvard 29–17–1 16–5 1st NCAA Regional
Harvard: 688–518–4 (.570) 334–123–1 (.730)
Pittsburgh Panthers (Atlantic Coastal Conference) (2024–present)
2024 Pittsburgh 17–32 6–18 T–12th
Pittsburgh: 17–32 (.347) 6–18 (.250)
Total: 705–550–4 (.562)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Women's History Month Q&A: How Jenny Allard Won $1 from Hutch". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  2. ^ "Jenny Allard". PittsburghPanthers.com. University of Pittsburgh Athletics. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  3. ^ Burt, Tim (June 25, 2015). "Longtime Woodbridge softball coach saluted". Orange County Register. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor". Archived from the original on May 11, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Jenny Allard". Harvard Athletic Communications. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  6. ^ "Crimson Softball Wins First-Ever Ivy Title: The Harvard softball team clinched its first-ever Ivy League softball championship Monday with a sweep of Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y." Harvard University Gazette. April 30, 1998.
  7. ^ "Ivy League" (PDF).
  8. ^ "Hall of Famer Jenny Allard Named Pitt Softball Head Coach". PittsburghPanthers.com. University of Pittsburgh Athletics. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  9. ^ Campbell, Dominic. "Pitt Softball Hires New Head Coach in Hall of Famer Jenny Allard". PittsburghSportsNow.com. Pittsburgh Sports Now. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Rochman, Sue (April–May 2002). "A Different Diversity: An increased acceptance of gays and lesbians in the school setting is prompting more coaches to come out of the closet. Is it the athletic director's job to hold the door open?". Athletic Management.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ a b Buzinski, Jim. "The Importance of Being Out: Harvard Panel Looks at Sports and Sexuality". Outsports. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012.
  12. ^ "Ivy League Softball Record Book" (PDF). IvyLeague.com. Ivy League Athletics. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  13. ^ "Harvard Softball Record Book" (PDF). GoCrimson.com. HARVARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
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