Purdue softball head coach Magali Frezzotti hired alumna Kate Claypool (Purdue Softball 2023-24) as the first-ever director of player development for the program in July 2024. She will enter her second season with Boilermakers in the 2026 season.
In her role, Claypool will assist players in personal and athletic growth, working closely with both the coaching staff and student-athletes on individual development. Additionally, she will help the coaching staff assess, understand and predict performances both for current and future players and contribute to scouting reports and game plans.
Claypool, who graduated from Purdue in May 2024 with a Master’s degree in Business Analytics, played for the Boilermakers from 2023-24 after transferring from Iowa, where she earned an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Statistics.
Involved with student-athlete advisory committees throughout her collegiate career, Claypool joins the staff with a key understanding of what student-athletes are facing and has experience providing solutions for challenges they are facing. In addition, she worked for the compliance department at Purdue, focusing her efforts on analyzing NIL data to find the most successful avenues for student-athletes.
During her time at Purdue, Claypool played in 34 games, producing a .429 on-base % in 2023 and seven hits and nine RBI in 2024. The four-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient was also awarded Big Ten Distinguished Scholar this spring.