Bluejay Softball Rounds Out Coaching Staff With Addition of Garrett Furnal
8/15/2024 2:30:00 PM | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. – Creighton softball head coach Krista Wood rounded out the 2025 coaching staff with the addition of Garrett Furnal as an assistant coach on Thursday, Aug. 15. Furnal joins Wood's staff that also includes assistant coach KJ Murphy and graduate assistant Madeline Vejvoda, as well as Director of Player Development Danielle Manley.
"First and foremost, I would like to thank Coach Wood for allowing me the opportunity to join her staff," said Furnal. "It was clear from our conversations that we have similar goals and values both on and off of the field. I am excited to work alongside her, Coach Murphy, Coach Vejvoda, and Coach Manley. It's a great time to be a part of the Bluejay family, and I look forward to building something special at Creighton."
Furnal comes to Creighton after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Iowa, during which time the Panthers went 104-42 overall and won a pair of Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles after compiling a 66-9 record in league play.
Serving as the Panthers outfield and hitting coach, Furnal was part of UNI's 2022 and 2023 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year who helped develop nine NFCA All-Region and 18 All-MVC selections, including two MVC Players of the Year and two MVC Freshmen of the Year selections.
"I am thrilled to welcome Garrett to the Creighton Softball family," said Wood. "With his wealth of experience and passion for the game, I am confident that he will help elevate our team's performance at the plate. I look forward to seeing the impact he will make as we continue to build a championship culture here at Creighton. I have no doubt he is a great addition to our Bluejay family."
Under Furnal's guidance, UNI rewrote the Panthers record book, setting seven single-season team records, including batting average (.323), slugging percentage (.572), on-base percentage (.420), runs scored (348), doubles (97), home runs (73) and stolen bases (90). In addition, the Panthers led the MVC in batting average, runs, walks, total bases and hits, while established new MVC records with 97 doubles and 330 RBI in 2023.
Furnal's hitters also led the MVC in home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS each of the last three years, while ranking in the top-10 nationally in doubles per game (1st), OPS (2nd), total doubles (4th), slugging percentage (4th), scoring (5th), on-base percentage (6th) and home runs per game (7th) in 2023.
"I would also like to thank UNI's coaching staff for my time in Cedar Falls," added Furnal. "Coach Jacobs, Coach Wright, and Director of Player Development Andreas Tan are some of the best coaches and people in the business, and I look forward to their continued friendship and mentorship."
Furnal joined the UNI coaching staff after spending three seasons at Ohio University as an assistant coach and lead recruiting coordinator. During his time with the Bobcats, Furnal helped coach seven All-Mid American Conference (MAC) selections, including four that were named to the NFCA All-Mideast Team. Under his leadership, the Bobcats posted a breakout season in 2019 with 31 wins and set new program records for hits and RBI. With six players batting over .300, Ohio recorded the second-highest team batting average in program history (.297) and led the MAC in team batting average, at-bats, runs scored, hits, triples, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Immediately before joining the Bobcats, Furnal served two-year stints as an assistant coach at both UNC Wilmington (2017-18) and Presbyterian College (2015-16). In his first season with the Seahawks, Furnal guided UNCW to a program record 35 wins while qualifying for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament for the first time since 2007. UNCW also set a program record with a .977 fielding percentage, ranking fifth in the NCAA.
During his time at Presbyterian, Furnal led the Blue Hose to back-to-back 25-win seasons, including an appearance in the Big South Conference Tournament title game in 2015. Under his tutelage, he coached 18 NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes and had seven players earn All-Big South accolades.
Furnal began his coaching career at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, serving as an assistant coach intern, overseeing the Warhawks' hitters during the 2014 season. In his lone season in Louisiana, Furnal helped coach ULM to its highest batting average since 1984 (.275), as well as the highest team totals in RBI, home runs, and on-base percentage in the past 30 seasons.
Furnal is a 2010 graduate of Marshalltown Community College, and later earned his bachelor's degree from Iowa State in 2013.
"First and foremost, I would like to thank Coach Wood for allowing me the opportunity to join her staff," said Furnal. "It was clear from our conversations that we have similar goals and values both on and off of the field. I am excited to work alongside her, Coach Murphy, Coach Vejvoda, and Coach Manley. It's a great time to be a part of the Bluejay family, and I look forward to building something special at Creighton."
Furnal comes to Creighton after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Iowa, during which time the Panthers went 104-42 overall and won a pair of Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles after compiling a 66-9 record in league play.
Serving as the Panthers outfield and hitting coach, Furnal was part of UNI's 2022 and 2023 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year who helped develop nine NFCA All-Region and 18 All-MVC selections, including two MVC Players of the Year and two MVC Freshmen of the Year selections.
"I am thrilled to welcome Garrett to the Creighton Softball family," said Wood. "With his wealth of experience and passion for the game, I am confident that he will help elevate our team's performance at the plate. I look forward to seeing the impact he will make as we continue to build a championship culture here at Creighton. I have no doubt he is a great addition to our Bluejay family."
Under Furnal's guidance, UNI rewrote the Panthers record book, setting seven single-season team records, including batting average (.323), slugging percentage (.572), on-base percentage (.420), runs scored (348), doubles (97), home runs (73) and stolen bases (90). In addition, the Panthers led the MVC in batting average, runs, walks, total bases and hits, while established new MVC records with 97 doubles and 330 RBI in 2023.
Furnal's hitters also led the MVC in home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS each of the last three years, while ranking in the top-10 nationally in doubles per game (1st), OPS (2nd), total doubles (4th), slugging percentage (4th), scoring (5th), on-base percentage (6th) and home runs per game (7th) in 2023.
"I would also like to thank UNI's coaching staff for my time in Cedar Falls," added Furnal. "Coach Jacobs, Coach Wright, and Director of Player Development Andreas Tan are some of the best coaches and people in the business, and I look forward to their continued friendship and mentorship."
Furnal joined the UNI coaching staff after spending three seasons at Ohio University as an assistant coach and lead recruiting coordinator. During his time with the Bobcats, Furnal helped coach seven All-Mid American Conference (MAC) selections, including four that were named to the NFCA All-Mideast Team. Under his leadership, the Bobcats posted a breakout season in 2019 with 31 wins and set new program records for hits and RBI. With six players batting over .300, Ohio recorded the second-highest team batting average in program history (.297) and led the MAC in team batting average, at-bats, runs scored, hits, triples, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Immediately before joining the Bobcats, Furnal served two-year stints as an assistant coach at both UNC Wilmington (2017-18) and Presbyterian College (2015-16). In his first season with the Seahawks, Furnal guided UNCW to a program record 35 wins while qualifying for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament for the first time since 2007. UNCW also set a program record with a .977 fielding percentage, ranking fifth in the NCAA.
During his time at Presbyterian, Furnal led the Blue Hose to back-to-back 25-win seasons, including an appearance in the Big South Conference Tournament title game in 2015. Under his tutelage, he coached 18 NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes and had seven players earn All-Big South accolades.
Furnal began his coaching career at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, serving as an assistant coach intern, overseeing the Warhawks' hitters during the 2014 season. In his lone season in Louisiana, Furnal helped coach ULM to its highest batting average since 1984 (.275), as well as the highest team totals in RBI, home runs, and on-base percentage in the past 30 seasons.
Furnal is a 2010 graduate of Marshalltown Community College, and later earned his bachelor's degree from Iowa State in 2013.
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