Dan Paulson is in his fifth season (2023-24) as Co-Head Coach of the Parkland softball program. He and his wife, Kristi, took over the reigns in the fall of 2020. Prior to that, the pair served as volunteer coaches for the Cobras. Under their direction, the Paulsons have propelled Parkland to a record of 147-50 (.746 winning percentage), three straight M-WAC conference titles, two Central District Championships, and two top-eight finishes at the NJCAA DII National Championships (7th 2021, 5th 2023).
The Paulsons created Premier Fastpitch in 2011, and has seen the program develop into a routine competitor on the national stage. Placing in the top-10 at numerous national tournaments, the Paulsons most recently coached the 2018 Premier Fastpitch Under-16 team to a ninth-place finish at nationals in Huntington Beach, California. In addition to contending at the national level, the program has also dominated at the state level, winning eight Illinois State ‘A’ Championships. Overall, the Premier Fastpitch has maintained a .738 winning percentage (389-138) since its inception.
Individually, the Paulsons’ Premier program has mentored over 50 players that have gone on to play in college, including many at the Division I level. This is rooted in the philosophy that they will bring to the Cobra program. “Our philosophy is to coach athletes to be the very best they can be both on and off the field, to do everything they do in life with a purpose, and to make themselves one percent better every single day. These traits will carry on with our athletes long after their time playing the game of softball and help guide them to success in life” says Dan Paulson.
Off the field, Dan Paulson is the President and CEO of the Premier Print Group and Wave Graphics, managing over 100 employees, and is also a partner and CEO of the Perfect Storm software company.
Updated January 2024
