STAFF |
SAM KORN
Head Coach
Sam Korn starts her third season UW-La Crosse's head softball coach in 2025-26. She arrived at UWL after serving as head coach at Rockford University (Ill.) in 2022-23.
The Eagles were 22-19 overall and 7-7 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in 2025, advancing to the league tournament. UWL tied for third in the WIAC standings. Three members of the team earned All-WIAC Team accolades, including Kyra Lard and Brooke Howard to the first team. Brynne Bieri was selected to the All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team. Lard was also selected the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete.
UWL finished 24-19 overall and 9-5 in the WIAC in Korn's first season as head coach in 2024, tying for third in the league standings. Five players were named to the All-WIAC Team, including Jordyn McCormack, Elise Weinzierl, Lard and Howard to the first team. Remington Stark earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention accolades. Lard was selected the 2024 WIAC Position Player of the Year while McCormack was named the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete.
Lard and Howard were selected to the 2024 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region Second Team.
Korn was a four-sport athlete at Westby (Wis.) High School, competing in volleyball, basketball, softball and power lifting. She coached with the Westby Softball Recreation Program from 2012-18.
Prior to coaching at Rockford (Ill.), Korn was the head defensive coach and assistant offensive coach at Bridgewater College (Va.) from July 2021 to July 2022. She conducted all defensive practices working with the catchers and assisting with the pitchers. Korn coached six Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) selections at Bridgewater (Va.) as well as two all-region players. The Eagles won their first ODAC Tournament game since 2013.
Along with coaching, Korn served as Bridgewater's (Va.) softball recruiting coordinator and was an assistant strength and conditioning coach.
She was a graduate assistant softball coach at the University of Pikeville (Ky.) from August 2020 to July 2021. Korn coached all aspects in the program, including strength and conditioning, hitting instruction, leading team practices and working with the catchers and outfielders. She also served as Pikeville's (Ky.) Director of Academic Enhancement, managed the team's social media platforms and organized summer camps. Korn was named the 2021 Pikeville (Ky.) Graduate Assistant Coach of the Year in athletics.
A three-sport athlete at Alverno College (Wis.), Korn earned four letters for the softball program while also competing in volleyball and golf for the Inferno. She was a member of the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) all four years, serving as President from 2016-19.
Korn earned her bachelor's degree in integrated studies from Alverno (Wis.) in 2020 and Master's of Business Administration from Pikeville (Ky.) in 2022.
Brittany Baldwin
Assistant Coach
Sam Korn starts her third season UW-La Crosse's head softball coach in 2025-26. She arrived at UWL after serving as head coach at Rockford University (Ill.) in 2022-23.
The Eagles were 22-19 overall and 7-7 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in 2025, advancing to the league tournament. UWL tied for third in the WIAC standings. Three members of the team earned All-WIAC Team accolades, including Kyra Lard and Brooke Howard to the first team. Brynne Bieri was selected to the All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team. Lard was also selected the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete.
UWL finished 24-19 overall and 9-5 in the WIAC in Korn's first season as head coach in 2024, tying for third in the league standings. Five players were named to the All-WIAC Team, including Jordyn McCormack, Elise Weinzierl, Lard and Howard to the first team. Remington Stark earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention accolades. Lard was selected the 2024 WIAC Position Player of the Year while McCormack was named the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete.
Lard and Howard were selected to the 2024 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region Second Team.
Korn was a four-sport athlete at Westby (Wis.) High School, competing in volleyball, basketball, softball and power lifting. She coached with the Westby Softball Recreation Program from 2012-18.
Prior to coaching at Rockford (Ill.), Korn was the head defensive coach and assistant offensive coach at Bridgewater College (Va.) from July 2021 to July 2022. She conducted all defensive practices working with the catchers and assisting with the pitchers. Korn coached six Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) selections at Bridgewater (Va.) as well as two all-region players. The Eagles won their first ODAC Tournament game since 2013.
Along with coaching, Korn served as Bridgewater's (Va.) softball recruiting coordinator and was an assistant strength and conditioning coach.
She was a graduate assistant softball coach at the University of Pikeville (Ky.) from August 2020 to July 2021. Korn coached all aspects in the program, including strength and conditioning, hitting instruction, leading team practices and working with the catchers and outfielders. She also served as Pikeville's (Ky.) Director of Academic Enhancement, managed the team's social media platforms and organized summer camps. Korn was named the 2021 Pikeville (Ky.) Graduate Assistant Coach of the Year in athletics.
A three-sport athlete at Alverno College (Wis.), Korn earned four letters for the softball program while also competing in volleyball and golf for the Inferno. She was a member of the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) all four years, serving as President from 2016-19.
Korn earned her bachelor's degree in integrated studies from Alverno (Wis.) in 2020 and Master's of Business Administration from Pikeville (Ky.) in 2022.
Jan Protsman
Assistant Coach
Jan Protsman is in his second year as an assistant softball coach at UW-La Crosse in 2025-26. A native of Lansing, Iowa, Protsman graduated from Viterbo University (Wis.) in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He played baseball for the V-Hawks for two years before starting to serve as an assistant softball coach.
He has coached at levels from 10 and under through college. Protsman has been involved with many area high school and travel ball over the last 15 years while providing hitting instruction from the Wisconsin/Minnesota/Iowa area for 20 years.
Protsman played at Kee High (Iowa) H.S., appearing in three state championships, winning one title. He played for the winningest coach in Iowa history, Gene Schultz.
Sam Saloun
Assistant Coach