Jenny Putnam Named Director of Softball Operations
10/6/2025 11:58:00 AM | Softball
Mizzou softball head coach Larissa Anderson has appointed Jenny Putnam as the director of softball operations, the program announced Monday, Oct. 6.
Putnam formerly was the director of operations for the women's basketball team on Robin Pingeton's staff from 2010 to 2025.
Putnam spent the first 13 years as an assistant coach before serving as director of basketball operations for her final two seasons.
Putnam played for Pingeton at St. Ambrose and brought loyalty, consistency and stability to the Tigers program.
Putnam's responsibilities as an assistant under Pingeton included assisting in the organization of practice plans for the team and individual student-athletes, on-court coaching with post players and assisting with daily operations and Tiger basketball camps. Putnam also played an important role with the program's recruiting efforts and managed the scheduling for future seasons.
Recognized as a top recruiter, Putnam was instrumental in recruiting and signing Mizzou's heralded 2015 freshman class that was ranked 17th nationally by Prospect Nation. She played a large role in recruiting Sophie Cunningham, who became the first McDonald's All-American to sign with Mizzou, along with her Rock Bridge High School (Columbia, Mo.) teammate Cierra Porter, who was ranked the No. 37 player in the country by All-Star Girls Report. Hannah Schuchts (Tallahassee, Fla./Maclay School) rounded out the class and was ranked the No. 59 forward nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Before coming to Missouri, Putnam spent seven years as an assistant coach to Pingeton at Illinois State. She helped turn around a program that had not earned a winning season in seven years. During her time with the Redbirds, the squad made five postseason appearances, earned three Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles, two State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships and recorded a 144-76 record.
Putnam began her coaching career in 2001 at Bettendorf (Iowa) High School as the freshman girls coach and served on the staff of the women's basketball program at Marycrest International University in Davenport, Iowa. Putnam was the facilities coordinator for athletics in 2002 at Marycrest before joining Gene Steinmeyer's women's basketball staff at Northwest Missouri State.
Putnam played collegiate basketball and softball at St. Ambrose. She was the starting outfielder on the team and earned NAIA All-America honors in both basketball and softball during her playing years.
A native of Moline, Ill., Putnam has three sons, Jack, Tyler and Callen.
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