Here's What Coaches Nationwide Are Saying About Renee Luers-Gillispie's Move to Iowa

Reaction around the college softball world to Renee Luers-Gillispie's departure for Iowa after 18 seasons at UCF has been wide-ranging. Here are a few of the more interesting bits over the past week.

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Alabama Head Coach Patrick Murphy

• 11 WCWS appearances
• One National Title
• Coached vs. Gillispie and UCF six times

"She is the perfect choice for the University of Iowa. I have known her for years, and as two native Iowans, she is one of the nicest individuals in the sport of softball. She has always fielded a very competitive team. I don't see any reason why she won't bring Iowa to new heights in softball"

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USF and USA National Team Head Coach Ken Eriksen

• 13 NCAA Tournament Appearances at USF
• Team USA Assistant Coach (2001-2010)
• Won Gold in 2004 Athens Olympics and Silver in 2008 Beijing Olympics as an assistant with Team USA
• Named Team USA Head Coach in 2010
• Met Gillispie and UCF 27 times, including four in the NCAA Tournament and once in the American Athletic Conference semifinals in 2015

"Coach Gillispie did a fantastic job for UCF and for softball in the state of Florida. She is about to make an impact on the Big 10. Two words of advice for her. Stay the course with your philosophy and buy a jacket.”

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Legendary Iowa Head Coach Gayle Blevins

• National Softball Hall of Fame Inductee
• 4 WCWS Appearances from 1988-2010
• 1,245 career wins
• 5 Big Ten titles
• 16 NCAA Tournament Appearances

"Renee is an outstanding selection to lead this program. As an Iowa native, she knows the history of the program and the importance of this sport in the state of Iowa. She is a proven leader of successful programs, both on the field and in the overall development of her players."

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Liberty Head Coach and Team USA Softball Legend Dot Richardson

• USA Softball player Gold medalist (1996,2000)
• Liberty Head Coach (2014-present)

"Renee did so much not only for UCF Softball program but for softball in the Central Florida community. She help grow sport in Central Florida and put UCF Softball on the national map. It was great to to have her participate in tournament I host in Clermont, cover her when I did TV broadcasts that involved UCF and competing her great teams since I have been here at Liberty."

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Former UCF Men's Basketball Head Coach and current Iowa Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Kirk Speraw

• UCF Head Coach from 1993-2010
• 4 NCAA Tournament Appearances
• Assistant Coach at Iowa since 2010
• Iowa native and alumnus

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Indiana Head Coach Shonda Stanton

• Coached against Gillispie in Conference USA from 2006-2013 as head coach at Marshall

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UCF Volleyball Head Coach Todd Dagenais

• Head volleyball coach at UCF since 2008
• Currently longest-tenured head coach at UCF