From prospective college athlete to teen parent to couch surfer to a Major League Baseball hitting coordinator, Matt Lisle has seen the many highs and lows the average person may not.
The hiring of Lisle to the Oregon State University Softball coaching staff comes after former Assistant Coach Eric Leyba, who spent five seasons with the Beavers, left Oregon State to take the same position at Texas A&M University.
Lisle claims his interest in OSU stemmed from his admiration of Coach Laura Berg and her accomplishments as an athlete and coach. He hopes to use his time here in Corvallis as a way to learn from Berg and promote the program that she is building.
Hitting and offense are Lisle’s specialties and he plans to work with each player to capture their strengths and weaknesses. With this individualized approach, he hopes to create a plan of action for each player to help them reach their highest potential.
Lisle has found success with this approach in both college athletics and professional athletics, including when he implemented this individualized approach as the hitting coordinator for the Chicago White Sox.
“I want to know their goals and learning style and how they best like receiving feedback; it all grows from there,” Lisle said.
The name Coach Lisle is well known in the coaching world as he is recognized as one of the internet’s most followed softball and baseball coaches.
According to Lisle, his philosophy is centered around both player development and personal development. Not only is his focus on the athletic side of a player, but on their leadership and personal development which he believes leads to true success.
“I get to be a part of their journey and I’m grateful for that. So, I take that very seriously and am very privileged in the sense that there’s a little window of time I get to spend with this athlete and that I can maybe help them on their journey,” Lisle said.
With nearly two million followers on his various social media platforms, Lisle has been able to spread his coaching philosophy and be a step ahead when it comes to recruiting, marketing and showcasing the OSU softball team.
Lisle’s insight into the games of softball and baseball has earned him respect on social media and as a public speaker. Being a featured speaker at national conventions such as the National Softball Coaches Convention and the World Baseball and Softball Convention has more than proved his work and dedication to coaching a successful team.
Not only is Lisle a coach and inspiration to many, but he is a father of five. He likes to take care of his student-athletes the same way he takes care of his children.
He says it gives him a chance to connect with the athlete as they spend a great deal of time together.
“I think great coaches realize that this time is going to go by really quick and the time that you get to spend, is like the same time you spend with your children. All of it is quality time. There is no secret quality time. You really have to cherish that time that you have with them and you have to make it impactful,” Lisle said.
When building that deeper connection with the athletes, Lisle uses what he calls his “biggest secret weapon in coaching,” empathy. Lisle said, “Empathy can inspire athletes to give more effort and increase their confidence, and deal with adversity better. So I always start there. After that, it’s all about relationship building and relational equity.”
Coach Lisle promises that anyone who comes out to see the team this year can expect a lot of fireworks ahead of the 2024 softball season.