Larissa Anderson is entering her fourth season as the Hofstra Softball Head Coach in 2018. In her three seasons at the helm, Anderson has gone 89-59-1.
Anderson led Hofstra back to the Colonial Athletic Association championship game in 2017, as the Pride posted its 28th consecutive winning season and entered the CAA Championships as the No. 2 seed. She picked up her first win over a top-10 opponent as a head coach with a 5-2 victory over No. 10 James Madison on March 26. Under Anderson’s guidance, pitcher Sarah Cornell was named to the NFCA All-Northeast Region First Team in her rookie season, with Cornell also earning a spot on the All-CAA Second Team and All-Rookie Team. Kristin Hallam joined Cornell on both CAA teams, while Brielle Pietrafesa also earned a spot on the second team.
Anderson led Hofstra to the Colonial Athletic Association championship and a NCAA Tournament berth in her first season as the program’s head coach in 2015, guiding Hofstra to a 38-14-1 record and a spot in the NCAA Gainesville Regional. Anderson and her assistants were named the NFCA Northeast Region's Coaching Staff of the Year after Hofstra posted a collective 2.05 ERA, smashed 56 home runs and out-scored opponents, 277-129. Morgan Lashley and Caryn Bailey were recognized as first-team NFCA all-region members under her tutelage.
In 2016 Anderson and the Pride posted another winning record, going 24-22. Six members of the team earned CAA postseason honors, with Brielle Pietrafesa and Chloe Fitzgerald getting first-team All-CAA nods and Madison Ambush being earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team. Pietrafesa and Nikki Michalowski were also named Third-Team NFCA All-Northeast Region selections.
Anderson has been part of eight NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year award-winners, including seven as an assistant or associate head coach and one as the head coach. Since Anderson arrived on campus, Hofstra is 569-253-2, which is good for a .691 winning percentage.
Before taking over as the head coach, Anderson spent the previous 13 seasons on the Hofstra staff as an assistant, including the last 10 as the associate head coach. She is just the sixth head coach in program history since 1980 and took over for Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Edwards, who helmed the program from 1990 through 2014.
Anderson led Hofstra to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 Colonial Athletic Association championships as an assistant before racking up another title and NCAA regional appearance as the head coach in 2015.
As associate head coach, she helped Hofstra win 24 NCAA Tournament games and make six appearances in the regional finals.
Under Anderson’s guidance, Hofstra hurlers won nine CAA Pitcher of the Year awards in 10 seasons, including four consecutive wins by Olivia Galati from 2010-13 and three from Kayleigh Lotti from 2007-09. Galati was twice named an All-America by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and was the program’s first-ever first-team pick in 2012 after leading Division I with a 0.95 ERA and a 34-7 record. Anderson helped guide Galati to a NCAA-best 40 wins and 22 shutouts in 2013.
One of the hallmarks of the Hofstra Softball program during Anderson's tenure has been the Pride's stellar defense. From 2008-13, Hofstra regularly ranked among the nation's elite in fielding percentage as the Pride was among the top 20 in the nation in five of those seasons. The Pride reached the pinnacle in that category in 2011 as Hofstra ranked first in all of Division I in fielding percentage. Hofstra was also fourth in 2008 and 2010, and 16th in 2012 and 2013.
Anderson is also a frequent speaker at camps and clinics around the country. At the 2011 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Convention, Anderson and Edwards were featured speakers and presented on the topic: "Defensive Strategy: Is Your Team Really As Prepared As You Think?" The national convention included more than 1,300 participants (mostly coaches) from youth levels, high school, travel teams and NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA institutions. Anderson also spoke at the 2013 NFCA Convention, focusing on the defensive team system.
Anderson is very active with the NFCA and was the chair of the NFCA Ethics Committee from 2009-13. She currently serves as the Fourth Vice President on the NFCA executive board and is a member of the NFCA Recruiting Committee and the NFCA Hall of Fame Committee.
Prior to coming to Hofstra, Anderson served as an assistant coach for two seasons at LIU Post, where she helped the Pioneers to a combined 75-33 record, including a school record 42 wins during the 2000 season. She assisted in all facets of the program at LIU Post and was in charge of coaching the pitchers and catchers. Her efforts helped the Pioneers to the 13th best team earned run average in Division II (1.11) in 2001. She was also part of a C.W. Post staff that received the Northeast Region Division II Coaching Staff of the Year award from the NFCA in 2000.
Anderson also served one season as an assistant coach at Gannon University in 1998, after being named a regional All-American outfielder in 1997. She graduated from Gannon in 1997 with a bachelor's of science degree in therapeutic recreation.
Anderson is married to former Hofstra Baseball Coach Patrick Anderson, who manages in the Washington Nationals organization.
