SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State softball associate head coach Beth Perine announced her retirement today following 28 seasons with the Bears program.
 
Perine joined the MSU softball coaching staff beginning with the 1996 season, after serving as an assistant coach for nine seasons at Ohio State and Penn State, then as the head coach at Eastern Illinois from 1992-1995. In her 28 seasons on staff, she helped head coach Holly Hesse and the Bears to a 743-684-2 record which included six Missouri Valley Conference Tournament titles and six NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
"Beth's love and loyalty for MSU Softball for nearly three decades has been a driving force behind so much of our success.  Immediately after her arrival in the fall of 1995 we won three MVC Championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1996, 1997, and 1998.  Her passion for coaching, her knowledge of the sport, and her ability to connect with student-athletes elevated our program to new heights.  Her oversight of our academic success, community service footprint and recruiting efforts were roles that she excelled in and that our program benefited greatly from.  It has been an honor and a blessing to work side-by-side with her during these past 28 years.  I will forever be grateful for her hard work, patience, poise and professionalism.  Our program, the MSU Athletic Department and the university are better because of the legacy of excellence she has left," said Hesse.
 
As associate head coach, Perine oversaw multiple aspects of the program, including serving as the recruiting coordinator, the academic oversight and she coordinated the Bears' community service efforts. On the field, she worked primarily with the catchers, outfielders and served as the third base coach.
 
In 2023, her final season with the program, Perine helped lead Missouri State to a 31-20 overall record, its first-ever 20-win conference season, the first undefeated mark at home in program history (15-0) and a second-place finish in the MVC regular season standings.
 
"I have spent my entire adult life doing what I love to do.  And I am so grateful I spent the majority of that time at Missouri State.  It is a bittersweet moment to say goodbye to a program that runs through my veins.  I am fortunate to have shared this time with Sue, Kasey and Holly.  They have helped mold me into a better person, coach and friend.  I learned, laughed and loved our time together.  Holly is the north star of this program, and I am so profoundly grateful for the opportunity she gave me so many years ago. I am also thankful for all of the student-athletes, both past and present, as they are the true trophies of this program.  Finally, thank you to Kyle [Moats] and Casey [Hunt] for their continued support of our mission, and to the rest of the staff in our department for all you do each day to help make our program a success. Thank you doesn't quite cover the entire context of what I feel, but it is heartfelt and sincere to my core," said Perine.
 
She graduated from Ohio State University in 1982 and earned her master's degree in counseling education from Penn State in 1989. Perine ends her career with over 40 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience and an overall career record of 1055-1007-4. She collected the 1,000th win of her coaching career in 2022 as the Bears defeated Kansas City, 3-1, on March 4.
 
Perine will transition into a new role within Missouri State Athletics as an academic advisor in the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Academic Achievement Center beginning on August 1, under director Dan Raines.
 
"We are ecstatic to add someone of Beth Perine's caliber to our staff. I have worked with Beth for the last 15 years as together we have supported the Bears softball program academically, and I have seen the lasting impact that she has had on her students, both on and off the field," said Raines. "The softball program has achieved a 3.50 team GPA in twelve different semesters since 2015 and finished with the second-highest GPA in the nation in 2016-2017 with a cumulative 3.65. Beth's work with these students is a huge reason for that tradition of success. She cares deeply about the success of her students, her colleagues and Missouri State University, and our staff is excited for Beth to bring her skills to assist even more of our students in the years to come!"