WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State head softball coach Kristi Bredbenner completed her coaching staff for the 2024 season with the addition of Easton Herring.

Herring will serve as the defensive coach for the Shockers after a year at Austin Peay as the defensive coach/assistant coach.

“We are thrilled to welcome Easton, Tara and their newborn son Kannon to the Shocker Softball family,” Bredbenner said. “Easton’s energy and passion for coaching has been evident since he made the transition from baseball to softball. I look forward to seeing what he can do on the recruiting trail and the impact he will make within our program.”

Prior to Austin Peay, Herring served as a volunteer assistant and catching/outfield coordinator and first base coach for nationally ranked Virginia Tech.

He also was tasked with developing scouting reports for the Top-10 ranked Hokies, who finished with a 46-10 record, including 14 wins over Top-25 ranked opponents, and hosted both an NCAA Regional and Super Regional.

During his one season at Virginia Tech, the Hokies had a conference-high 11 members on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams.

Before his time at Virginia Tech, Herring spent one season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Wichita State baseball program serving as the catching/outfield coordinator.

As a volunteer assistant in 2021, Herring helped guide the Shockers to a 31-23 overall record and 18-13 mark in the American Athletic Conference, with the conference win total being a program-high since joining the AAC before the 2018 season.

In addition, the Shockers had five players named All-Conference First Team, including Freshman All-American and Newcomer Pitcher of the Year, Jace Kaminska, reliever Aaron Haase, infielders Paxton Wallace and Garrett Kocis, and outfielder Corrigan Bartlett.

A native of Pratt, Kan., Herring also served as a graduate manager for WSU from 2018-2020 before being elevated to volunteer assistant coach.

Prior to arriving at Wichita State in 2018, he attended and played two seasons of baseball at Newman University.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Newman in December 2018 and received his master’s degree in sport management from Wichita State in May 2020.

Herring also served as the head coach for the Hutchinson Monarchs in the summer of 2020 in the Sunflower Collegiate League and helped lead the team to a third-place finish in the NBC World Series (highest in team history) and their first SCL league championship with a 32-8 overall record.

Herring is a 2013 graduate of Pratt High School, and attended both Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Neb. and Seward County Community College.

He and his wife, Tara, reside in Wichita with their son, Kannon.