Michigan State Softball Adds to Staff

Michigan State softball added to its staff in August. | Michigan State Athletics

Michigan State softball announced several changes to its program this month, adding a new assistant coach, Annie Smith, and the retirement of Spartans legend, Jacquie Joseph. 

We're excited to welcome Assistant Coach Annie Smith to East Lansing! pic.twitter.com/DYfCwua27J

— Michigan State Softball (@MSU_Softball) August 13, 2025

Smith joins East Lansing after spending the 2022 to 2024 seasons as an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota.  Smith brings over 20 years of coaching knowledge and experience with her, as she spent a chunk of her time coaching at Arkansas, earning NFCA South Region Coaching Staff of the Year honors. She led the Razorback to the program’s first-ever SEC regular season title in 2021 with a 43-11 record, going 19-5 in SEC play. 

Annie Smith joins Michigan State after spending two seasons with Minnesota. | Minnesota Athletics

Prior to Arkansas, she spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as an assistant coach at Auburn, guiding the War Eagles to two 40-plus win seasons and an NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2018. 

Her resume includes coaching stops at LSU, Mississippi State, and Missouri, and boasts professional experience as well, as she was an assistant coach for the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch in 2017. 

Between 2012 to 2017, Smith gained head coaching experience at Georgia Southern, where she compiled a 176-166 record and reached the NCAA Tournament twice. She led the Eagles to Southern Conference regular season championships in 2012, 2013, and 2014, and two conference tournament titles in 2012 and 2013. Her efforts earned her the conference’s coach of the year title in 2012 and 2014. 

Smith’s Coaching Resume: 

• Michigan State University (Assistant Coach 2025)
• University of Minnesota (Assistant Coach 2022-2024) 
• University of Arkansas (Assistant Coach 2019-2022)
• Auburn University (Assistant Coach 2018-2019)
• LSU (Assistant Coach) 
• Mississippi State (2002-2011 Associate Head Coach)
• Missouri (Assistant Coach 1999-2022)
• Chicago Bandits (Assistant Coach 2017) 
• Georgia Southern (Head Coach 2012-2017) 

Smith will now have a large role to play at MSU, as the softball program landed 14th in the Big Ten Conference with a 6-16 record in 2015.

Hall of Fame Coach Retires

As for Joseph, she leaves the Spartans after 32 years working for Michigan State Athletics, including 29 seasons as the head coach of the softball team and three in athletics administration. Joseph announced her retirement from coaching on May 12, 2022, and moved into the admin role. 

As the winningest coach in Spartan program history, her overall record consists of more than 800 victories (865-914-1), and she guided MSU to four NCAA Regional appearances. 

Jacquie Joseph spent 32 years working for MSU Athletics. | Michigan State Athletics

Joseph was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame in December 2016 and certainly leaves a lasting legacy on the softball program as not just a coach, but as a mentor.