Joe Gierlak was officially named the third head coach in Canisius softball program history on June 30, 2025.
Gierlak, who served as an assistant coach for Canisius in 2025, replaced former head coach Kim Griffin, who stepped down from her position at the University in May 2025 to pursue a career in mental health counseling.
A long-time assistant coach at both the Division I and Division II levels, Gierlak served as Canisius’ third-base coach and lead hitting instructor in 2025, a season where the Griffs ranked second in the MAAC in team batting average and runs scored. He also worked directly with the team’s infielders and helped develop opponent scouting reports.
Prior to joining the Canisius staff, Gierlak spent three seasons (2022-24) as an assistant coach at the University at Buffalo. In his first two seasons with the Bulls, he worked with the team’s catchers as well as the team’s infielders and outfielders. In 2024, he was appointed Buffalo’s pitching coach. In that role, he helped mentor two All-MAC pitchers and called pitches for Alexis Lucyshyn’s no-hitter against Winthrop on March 8, the sixth no-hitter in Buffalo softball program history. In addition to his on-field coaching responsibilities, Gierlak helped develop team scouting reports using the Synergy and 6-4-3 Charts software programs.
Gierlak got his start in collegiate softball coaching at Edinboro University, where he worked as an assistant coach under the direction of his father, Dan, who recently completed his 33rd season as the Fighting Scots’ head coach. At Edinboro, he held multiple roles on staff, including serving as the team’s third base coach, hitting coach and outfield coach, while also assisting with the day-to-day operations of the program. Following the 2021 season, he left Edinboro and joined the coaching staff at Mercyhurst, where he held the role of hitting coach for the Lakers for one season.
A former Division II baseball player at Clarion University, Gierlak earned his undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in sports management from Edinboro.
