BUFFALO, N.Y. - Canisius Director of Athletics Bill Maher announced today that Kim Griffin has been officially named the College’s head softball coach. Griffin, who has served as the program’s interim head coach for the last two months, replaces Mike Rappl, who retired July 28 after serving as the Golden Griffins’ head coach for 36 years.
“The appointment of Kim Griffin was part of our succession plan and her work with the team has demonstrated that she is the right person to lead our softball program,” Maher said. “Kim worked under Mike Rappl here for seven years as an assistant, and she understands and appreciates the tradition of Canisius softball. She has proven in her time as both an assistant coach and as the program’s interim coach that she is ready to take the next step in her professional career.”
A 2007 graduate of Mercyhurst College, Griffin served as an assistant on Rappl’s coaching staff for seven seasons, starting in 2008 when she joined the program as a volunteer assistant. In her first year with the program, she was a part of the coaching staff that helped guide the Blue and Gold to a school-record 39 wins, a MAAC Tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA Division I Softball Tournament. In 2014, she took over as the program’s pitching coach, where she oversaw the development of former Griff Jen Consaul, who set the program’s single-season record for appearances, innings pitched and complete games.
Griffin also oversaw day-to-day operations of the program, which included recruiting, scheduling, practice planning and on-field instruction. In her role as a recruiter for the team, she played a role in the recruitment of three All-MAAC honorees in the last two seasons. Griffin also helped plan and supervise various camps and clinics at Canisius and she’s also active in the community, as she serves as a volunteer coach with the Canisius Special Olympics basketball and softball teams. Her basketball teams have won back-to-back gold medals at the New York State Special Olympics games and in the summer of 2014, her hoops squad earned a silver medal at the USA Special Olympic Games, which were held in Princeton, N.J.
“I am honored and excited to have the chance to take over the Canisius softball program, a program that has produced 800-plus wins, numerous MAAC championships, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and countless success stories both on and off the field,” Griffin said. “Being able to work with and learn from Mike Rappl for the past seven years has been an invaluable experience. His daily work ethic, knowledge of game and his ability to manage a successful team year in and year out has taught me what it takes to be a Golden Griffin and a champion. I am thankful and appreciative of the support I have received from our entire athletic department, which includes Director of Athletic Bill Maher, Senior Woman’s Administrator Traci Murphy, all of the other head coaches and our support staff. They have all been extremely helpful to me in making this professional transition enjoyable and exciting.”
Griffin is no stranger to Western New York softball, as she played her scholastic ball at nearby Cleveland Hill High School. At Mercyhurst, she played in 130 career games and she was a three-time GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree. As a senior in 2007, Griffin hit .264 with three homers and 18 RBI for the Lakers, while ranking third on the team in on-base percentage (.346), fourth in runs batted in and fifth in total bases (46). She also won six games in the circle for Mercyhurst in her senior season to go with a save and a 3.52 ERA. She was named to the All-GLIAC Honorable Mention list after her junior campaign when she hit .322 with six doubles and 22 RBI.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Mercyhurst in sports medicine in 2007 and she also earned a master’s degree from Canisius in school counseling in 2011. Griffin will have 12 returning letterwinners to the team in 2015 and eight of those returning letterwinners are regular starters.
“It is my goal to bring Canisius softball back to the top of the MAAC and to return this program to being one of the elite teams in Western New York and in our region,” Griffin said. “I am excited to have the opportunity to lead this group of young women who all possess a strong work ethic and a desire to be champions.”