PHILADELPHIA – Leslie King, the winningest coach in the University of Pennsylvania softball program's history, has announced her retirement after 19 seasons as head coach. Associate head coach Danielle Gonzales will serve as the program's interim head coach this spring.
 
"I want to thank the Athletic Department and in particular Alanna Shanahan, Joy De Jesus, Joshua LaRosa and Mike Martin for their support during this challenging time," King said. "This was a very difficult personal decision, but I have decided to step away from coaching and focus on my health.
 
"I have ultimate faith in Dani and Matt Klampert to lead Penn softball and be there for the team as they work toward an Ivy League championship this spring. I want to thank the current players for their understanding and know that the work they have put in and continue to put in will pay off. This a special group of young women, and I know they will rally for each other and Coaches Gonzales and Klampert.
 
"Penn and especially Penn Softball have given me and my family so much these last two decades. I will be forever grateful to all the administrators, colleagues and athletes who have been a part of my journey here."
 
King compiled 354 wins during her 19 seasons at the helm, including a 175-148-1 Ivy League record. The 354 wins are the fourth most in Ivy League softball history. The Quakers won at least 20 games in a season nine times under King and twice won more than 30 including a school-record 33 in 2012. Penn won four straight Ivy League South Division titles from 2012-15 and won the Ivy League championship in 2013, advancing to the program's first NCAA Championship Regional.
 
"Leslie has stewarded Penn softball for nearly two decades, elevating many facets of the program and compiling some of the best seasons in school history," Shanahan said. "I have enjoyed watching many of the elite student-athletes that Leslie recruited and developed into Ivy Players or Rookies of the Year, and fondly remember the exploits of those Penn Athletics Hall of Famers or future inductees."
 
Under her guidance, Penn had four Ivy League Player of the Year honorees and five who earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year. The program record holders in virtually every statistical category were recruited and coached by King. In all, 49 players earned a total of 101 All-Ivy awards during her tenure.
 
Gonzales has served on King's staff since 2012 and has been the Quakers' associate head coach since 2021. She has been instrumental in three Ivy League South Division titles and the 2013 Ivy League championship. The Litchfield Park, Arizona native was a standout at Saint Joseph's, earning all-conference honors twice. She began her coaching career with the Hawks from 2010-12.