This will be Epstein’s second stint as an SEC softball coach
Former Tigers baseball standout and coach Jake Epstein was announced as the new hitting coach for Mizzou Softball today.
Epstein has mainly worked as a hitting trainer and consultant since his playing days, founding the Epstein Online Hitting Academy. He has worked with multiple Major League Baseball organizations as a hitting consultant, including an official consulting role with the Milwaukee Brewers since 2018.
Welcome back to Mid-Missouri, Jake Epstein‼️
Recognized as one of the premier hitting instructors in the nation, Epstein joins our Mizzou staff as an assistant coach.
https://t.co/I2Z3slwkxg#OwnIt #MIZ pic.twitter.com/zelxDCkSDV
— Mizzou Softball (@MizzouSoftball) June 2, 2025
Epstein takes over the position from Jeff Cottrill, who was let go after three seasons as the Tigers’ hitting coach.
2026 will be Epstein’s second opportunity as an SEC softball hitting coach after he served in that role for South Carolina during the 2024 season.
The Gamecocks went 36-24, reaching the Durham Regional, but struggled at the plate with the worst batting average (.242), on-base percentage (.341) and slugging percentage (.365) in the conference.
He found greater success in the other diamond sport, baseball, as a hitting coach for Mizzou’s baseball team in 2019. The Tigers went from the bottom to the middle of the pack in batting average that year and saw their on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) increase from .749 to .774.
Kameron Misner was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft that season after hitting .286 with a .920 OPS and 10 home runs. Epstein has also trained Tigers softball great Casidy Chaumont, who was a three-time All-SEC selection and plays professionally for the USSSA Pride.
This hire was critical for head coach Larissa Anderson after Mizzou missed regionals last season for the first time since 2006 and struggled greatly on offense, finishing last in the SEC in batting average (.255) and on-base percentage (.357).
The Tigers also lost key pieces in closer Taylor Pannell and third baseman Madison Walker to the transfer portal this offseason to go along with the loss of Julia Crenshaw, Kara Daly and Taylor Ebbs to graduation, making a turnaround with a talented but inexperienced team more difficult.
The move is a risky hire for Anderson. Epstein is a highly respected hitting coach, trainer and consultant, but was a flop his first time around as an SEC softball coach.
Anderson will hope that Epstein learned from his struggles in the other Columbia, and his successful career outside of that stint will help the program and its hitters get back on track.