Jeff Conrad ’00 came to Valparaiso University in 1992 to play baseball. The size of the school, proximity to his family, and the reputation of both the baseball and academic programs drew Conrad to choose Valpo; however, an injury during his junior year and an internship at the University of Michigan prompted him to rethink what his future might look like.
Like many college students, Jeff’s time at Valpo was formative and challenging. As a soon-to-be high school graduate with opportunities that could bring him far from his home in Frankfort, Illinois, Conrad says he wasn’t sure if he felt ready to be that far from his family. Once visiting the campus and experiencing the welcoming campus community, Valpo felt like home, offering a sense of calm and peace during a hectic period of life.
Once an official Valpo student, Jeff began to learn the delicate balance of life as a student-athlete. The University’s focus on academic success proved to be an opportunity for him to hone his time management skills, while also learning the valuable life lessons of overcoming challenges and defeats to become a better student and person. This period of growth and independence is what jump-started Conrad into becoming the person he is today.
At the tail end of his time at Valpo, in 1997, Jeff accepted a communications internship with the University of Michigan Athletic Department, where he spent the next five years working with the school’s storied and historic football program. It’s during this time that Conrad says he learned the most about dedication and being locked in on your craft, witnessing the college careers of future NFL legends Tom Brady and Charles Woodson.
Still deciding where his professional career would take him, Jeff was offered a job with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which never quite developed. Having just moved states, he dropped his resume off at the Tampa Bay Rays, subsequently spending about a year with the MLB team. Conrad switched industries altogether after leaving the sports world and was an insurance broker for nearly a decade, accumulating all of the things that many people equate with a happy and successful life. However, he says, something was missing, and he knew he needed to make a change. Right around this time, a friend from the University of Michigan had just begun coaching collegiate softball and encouraged Jeff to consider it, too.
At 38 years old, and in the middle of an abundant career, Jeff decided to leave the insurance world behind and jumped in with both feet into the coaching space for a chance at true happiness and fulfillment. Before success would find him, financial struggles would ensue, collection agencies would come calling, and he would find himself living with his parents, leading him to question if this was the right move after all. Conrad would use these struggles as inspiration and encouragement to make something worthwhile out of his choice.
Within two years as a travel ball coach, 18 players under Jeff’s leadership went on to compete in Division 1 college programs, drawing significant attention from college coaches like Joan Joyce and Renee Gillispie, who approached him about transitioning to a collegiate coaching role. Both coaches offered him the opportunity to coach with them on a volunteer basis. Gillispie would entrust Conrad as the hitting coach at the University of Central Florida for a year, helping the team to a historic 50-9 season and reaching the regional finals. This playoff run would put Jeff’s skills on the map with other schools, offering him full-time roles and rewarding his tenacity and belief in himself.
In 2015, Conrad joined the coaching staff at the University of North Florida, where he worked with hitters and infielders and served as the recruiting coordinator. A few years later, he was elevated to the Associate Head Coach position before taking over as Head Coach in 2022. The team achieved new heights under Conrad’s leadership in his third season at the helm, as UNF finished the season with its first ASUN regular season and tournament titles in program history. They went on to finish the season with a 47-15 overall record and a 22-2 ASUN record, winning every series, as well as every game in the conference tournament. The Ospreys went on to beat second-seeded Virginia twice, including a walk-off win, to clinch the program’s first-ever regional appearance as one of the final 32 teams in the postseason. By his third season, Conrad eclipsed 100 career head coaching wins with UNF becoming the fastest in program history to do so, on his way to being recognized as the ASUN Coach of the Year.
Reflecting on his career success and heading into a new season this month, Jeff says he hasn’t taken the time yet to soak it all in. He gives the success of the season to his players and staff and says that without them, none of this success would have been possible. As fate would have it, the Valpo connection is strong among the coaching staff at UNF, as Assistant Coach Mario Hernandez spent time on Valpo’s coaching staff in 2021. Conrad says that the Valpo connections and midwestern roots of his coaching staff, which also includes Iowa native Assistant Coach Amber Fiser, resonate well with the team in Florida, offering midwestern values and instilling a competitive spirit.
Jeff’s advice to players and coaches alike is a powerful one. He says, “There are going to be people along the way who tell you that the things you want to accomplish are impossible. If you believe in yourself and what you want to do, though, you can accomplish anything. Never doubt yourself. Always believe in yourself. If you do that, things will have a way of working out.” He adds, “And if you don’t believe me, look at my story.”
