Alabama Softball Adds Administrator

Alabama softball head coach Patrick Murphy announced the hiring of Kate Petullo as the director of operations Thursday. Petullo becomes the first full-time director of operations in program history.

"We are very excited to add Kate Petullo to our staff,” Murphy said. “I have always said the best quote to live by is to ‘surround yourself with good people and good things will happen.’ Kate is a great person who comes highly recommended."

Petullo joins the Alabama staff after serving as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Creighton for the past two years.

The Waterloo, Iowa, native worked with the outfielders, in addition to her role with Bluejay softball camps. In her two seasons at Creighton she helped guide the Bluejays to back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships and two NCAA regional appearances. Last season Creighton won both the MVC regular season and tournament titles.

Petullo was a Bluejay outfielder from 2004 through 2007, appearing in 122 games. She was a member of three NCAA Tournament teams, helping the Jays win the MVC tournament in 2004, 2005 and 2007. The Jays also won the 2007 MVC regular-season championship with Petullo as a senior leader.

She appeared in a career-high 36 games and scored 14 runs as a freshman. During her senior season she led the Bluejays with nine stolen bases. She was given Creighton softball’s Most Inspirational Award following her sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

Before returning to Creighton, Petullo taught at Millard West High School in Omaha, Neb., where she coached softball and basketball.

Petullo graduated from Creighton in 2007 with a degree in sociology.