Suzanne Unruh enters her seventh season as head coach of the Friends University softball program and is in her fourth year as the Senior Women's Leader.
Last year, Unruh led the Softball Falcons to a top-three finish in the KCAC and a berth in the KCAC tournament championship game along with the program's third NAIA National Tournament appearance in her tenure.
During the 2023 season, Unruh guided the Falcons to a second-place KCAC finish while overseeing a historic offensive explosion that featured the Falcons as one of the top slugging teams in the nation. The Falcons ranked second in the NAIA with a school record 48 homers and also tied for second in RBIs (338) while finishing third in runs (367), fourth in on-base-percentage (.427), seventh in slugging percentage (.524) and ninth in hits (474).
For the 2022 season, Unruh and the Falcons won their second KCAC tournament championship in the past four years which resulted in their second NAIA National Tournament appearance during that same stretch.
The Falcons enjoyed their now trademark second-half surge last season, winning 17 of 20 games heading into the NAIA tourney that was highlighted by a 5-1 mark at the KCAC tournament. Friends then knocked off top-seeded and No. 3-ranked Freed-Hardeman University for their first victory in the NAIA Opening Round since 2013.
In the 2021 season, Unruh guided the Falcons to a top-three finish in the KCAC with an 18-6 conference record along with a 31-16 overall mark.
Unruh coached seven all-conference performers as the team surged into the conference tourney with 12 wins in 15 games.
Her second season at the helm was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Unruh enjoyed a banner first season at the helm, guiding the Falcons to their first KCAC tournament championship since 2013 and as a result, a berth to the NAIA National Tournament.
For Unruh, it was her second straight conference tournament title, as she also led Tabor College to both the KCAC regular season and tournament championship in the 2018 season.
The Falcons played their best ball down the stretch, winning eight straight and 18 of their last 21 games prior to competing in the NAIA National tourney.
Unruh arrived as no stranger to the Falcons or the KCAC, as she was coming off a nine-year tenure as head coach of Tabor College.
Last season, Unruh was selected the league's top coach by her peers after leading the Bluejays to the conference regular season championship and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament.
She oversaw five All-KCAC performers last season and also fostered a program that produced a league-high 14 KCAC Scholar-Athletes.
Prior to arriving at Tabor, Unruh served tenures as an assistant coach at Cowley Community College and Butler County Community College, while also filling the role of interim head softball coach at Butler.
Unruh began her coaching career at her alma mater, Derby High School as an assistant coach and junior varsity head coach.
Her collegiate playing career included being a two-time first-team All-Jayhawk East Infielder/Outfielder and also a two-time first-team All-Region VI Infielder/Outfielder at Cowley CC. She was then inducted into the Cowley Hall of Fame in 2008.
She then transferred to Fort Hays State University and set eight school offensive records and received a pair of first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference nods.
She also enjoyed a decorated high school playing career, earning induction into the Derby HS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
Unruh and her husband Mike have three children, Kinlee (15), Caden (12) and Karsyn (10).
