Regarded as one of the premier recruiters and developers of pitchers in the country, Peter D’Amour became head coach of the Kennesaw State University softball program on Sept. 16, 2016, becoming the fifth head coach in program history.
In his first at the helm, D’Amour made an immediate impact, guiding the Owls to 40-20 overall record and their first postseason appearance since transitioning to the Division I level in 2006.
The list of impressive accomplishments achieved by Kennesaw State during the 2017 season included:
- Winning 40 games at the NCAA Division I level for the second time in program history
- Finishing second in the ASUN Conference regular season standings
- Earning a program-best No. 47 national RPI ranking
- Advancing to the inaugural NISC Championship, marking program's first postseason appearance at the NCAA Division I level
- Posting a 3-0 record and capturing the NISC Region 5 title, and advancing to the semifinals
- Producing a NCAA Division I program record 11-game winning streak
- Leading the ASUN Conference in batting average (.303), runs scored (302), hits (505), doubles (83), triples (19), home runs (45) and slugging percentage (.456)
- Ranking among the top 50 nationally in batting average (No. 34), earned-run average (No. 41), slugging percentage (No. 36), stolen bases per game (No. 17), triples per game (No. 10) and won-loss percentage (No. 35).
- Having a NCAA Division I-record seven individuals earn ASUN Conference postseason accolades
- Posting a cumulative 3.23 grade-point average during the 2016-17 academic year.
Individually, senior catcher Courtney Sutter was named ASUN Conference Player of the Year and third team NFCA All-South Region, rookie Alley Cutting tossed a perfect game and no-hitter en route to earning Freshman of the Year accolades and first team all-conference honors, while Olivia Tamewitz was named an NFCA National Freshman of the Year Top 25 Finalist.
Prior to arriving at Kennesaw State, D’Amour spent the last 10 years at the University of Missouri, serving as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the past two seasons. During his tenure on staff, the Tigers’ softball program compiled a 453-154 (.746) record, appeared in three Women’s College World Series (2009, 2010, 2011), advanced to eight NCAA Super Regionals, participated in 10 NCAA regionals and won two Big 12 Conference championships, while earning 10 straight Top 20 rankings.
D’Amour was primarily responsible for working with Missouri’s pitchers and catchers in addition to fulfilling the responsibilities of recruiting coordinator. Since 2009, with D’Amour calling pitches, Tigers pitchers threw 11 no-hitters. He also mentored 11 NCAA Division I All-Americans, two SEC Freshmen of the Year, three conference Pitchers of the Year, a national earned-run average leader, and a Defensive Player of the Year.
The Tigers have garnered numerous academic accolades, including 28 SEC Academic Honor Roll players since 2013 and eight
ESPN The Magazine CoSida Academic All-Americans. The 2011 team led the Big 12 Conference with an Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997.
With D’Amour leading the effort, Missouri annually produced one of the country’s top recruiting classes, including the 2017 group that is ranked No. 3 nationally by Flo Softball.
Over his final eight years, Missouri's pitching staff saw rapid improvement and became one of the top units in the country, aided in part by D'Amour.
In her first season of collegiate softball in 2014, Tori Finucane earned SEC Freshman of the Year recognition and posted a 21-6 record and 1.73 ERA. She additionally received First Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC honors, as well as NFCA All-Southeast Region second team distinction.
The 2013 season was the final campaign for Mizzou standout Chelsea Thomas, the first player in program history to be named a three-time First Team All-American. Thomas recorded a 24-6 mark and ranked fifth in the country while leading the SEC with a 1.16 ERA. She earned her third conference Pitcher of the Year award after taking the Big 12 Conference honor in 2011 and 2012.
The 2013 Tigers were also sound behind the plate with First Team All-SEC catcher Jenna Marston, who converted to the position from shortstop before the 2012 campaign. Marston posted a .989 fielding percentage and threw out seven attempted stealers on the year. She also received SEC All-Tournament honors and Second Team All-Southeast Region recognition.
Mizzou's 2011 pitching staff put together a 1.40 team ERA, the lowest for Missouri since 1998, while also striking out 539 batters, which shattered the old school record. A then-redshirt sophomore, Thomas led the nation with a 0.95 ERA, tied the school record with 32 wins and broke the school mark for strikeouts with 397. She was named one of three finalists for USA Softball's Player of the Year award.
Catcher Megan Christopher brought home the 2011 Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year award, as she posted a .992 fielding percentage and threw out 44 percent of attempted stealers on the base paths. Kristin Nottelmann, who stepped in as the ace after Thomas' injury in 2010, enjoyed a strong season with a record of 17-1 and a 1.92 ERA. Her .944 winning percentage is the best ever in a single-season at Mizzou.
In 2012, Mizzou's pitching staff followed up its impressive 2011 season with a 1.53 ERA and 460 strikeouts, the second-most in a single-season at Mizzou. Thomas went 27-9 with a 1.16 ERA and 306 strikeouts in 229.1 innings pitched, on her way to her second of the three First Team All-America nods.
D'Amour started throwing underhand at the age of four while serving as batboy for his father's fast pitch team. He played shortstop and pitched men's fast pitch for seven seasons, including three in the ISC Travel League and was the MVP of the NSA World Series in 2007. During his last ASA National Tournament, D'Amour hit .500 (7-for-14) with three home runs. He also played two years of college baseball at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi where he was an infielder.
D'Amour has recently been named to serve on the NFCA’s Diversity and Internet committees.
A native of Monrovia, Md., D'Amour earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies with an emphasis in business, English and history, and a master's degree in sports psychology from the Missouri.
Peter D’Amour Head Coaching Record
2017 Kennesaw State Head Coach 40-20 (NISC Region 5 Champions)
Peter D’Amour Assistant Coaching Record
2007 Missouri Volunteer Assistant 40-24 (NCAA Regionals)
2008 Missouri Volunteer Assistant 47-17 (NCAA Super Regionals)
2009 Missouri Assistant Coach 50-12 (College World Series)
2010 Missouri Assistant Coach 51-13 (College World Series)
2011 Missouri Assistant Coach 53-10 (College World Series)
2012 Missouri Assistant Coach 47-14 (NCAA Super Regionals)
2013 Missouri Assistant Coach 38-14 (NCAA Super Regionals)
2014 Missouri Assistant Coach 43-18 (NCAA Regionals)
2015 Missouri Associate Head Coach 42-16 (NCAA Super Regionals)
2016 Missouri Associate Head Coach 42-16 (NCAA Super Regionals)
Total 10 Years 453-154 (.746)
