When the Lehigh softball team looked to replace pitching coach Pattie Ruth Taylor after she took an assistant coaching job at the University of Texas, head coach Fran Troyan made the decision to ask former University of Pennsylvania coach Dani Gonzales to fill the vacancy.
Troyan said he urged Gonzales throughout the process of looking for a new coach because he knew her potential.
“As soon as (Taylor) let me know that she was interviewing down at the University of Texas, I texted (Gonzalez),” Troyan said. “I knew that she had done a great job at Penn, I knew that she cared about the student-athlete experience, but I also knew that she was a competitor.”
While Gonzales is originally from Litchfield Park, Arizona, she moved to Philadelphia when she was young and has lived there for the past 18 years.
She said although the adjustment was hard, Philadelphia quickly became home.
“There was a culture shock between the east coast and the west coast,” Gonzales said. “In Arizona, you had hot and hotter, and then here you have the four seasons. The weather was definitely the biggest adjustment for me, but I love Philadelphia. It’s become my second home.”
Gonzales said she got her start in softball when her mom forced her to try out for the team as a kid. She said she went to the first practice and never looked back.
After high school, Gonzales pitched for the Saint Joseph’s Hawks for all four years, where she earned a degree in sports and entertainment marketing — before getting her master’s in business administration with a concentration in management and marketing in 2012.
Soon after graduating, Gonzales said she knew she wanted to get back into the sport she played her whole life, but this time, as a coach.
“I went to work at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and I figured this isn’t really where my heart is,” Gonzales said. “I had the opportunity to go back to be a graduate assistant at Saint Joseph’s and fell in love with coaching there.”
She said after graduating with her master’s degree, she asked herself if she wanted to work in business or pursue her passion.
After serving as the interim head coach for the Penn softball team, Gonzales said she was looking for her next opportunity when Troyan reached out to her.
“I’ve had a relationship with (Troyan) since I played at Saint Joseph’s, so I’ve played against him, and coached against him, but I’ve always loved what he stands for,” Gonzales said. “His relationship he’s had with his players I’ve always admired, and that’s one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come here.”
Once Gonzales arrived, Troyan said she made an impact almost immediately.
“She’s building trust with them right now,” Troyan said. “In any organization, in any business, or in any entity, relationships are the most important thing and she understands that.”
Troyan said she has been working hard to develop relationships with all players, but especially the pitchers.
One of the pitchers she’s been working with is sophomore Chloe Hess, who was named second-team all-Patriot League last year.
“I think she’s very experienced, and I think she brings a lot of necessary, positive energy to our team (while) still maintaining that competitive aspect,” Hess said. “I think she has that perfect balance of loving the game, being competitive and always striving for greatness.”
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