DJ Gasso joined the Arkansas Razorbacks on June 30, 2023, as an assistant coach. Gasso serves as the program’s primary hitting coach. During Gasso’s two seasons at the helm, Arkansas has set single-season team program records in six offensive categories while registering top-three marks in 12. Individually, five single-season hitting records have been set under Gasso’s watch.
Under Gasso’s guidance, Arkansas set records in numerous offensive categories in 2025, including runs scored (436), RBI (399), walks (291), doubles (90), on-base percentage (.439), and sacrifice flies (29). Additionally, Arkansas also ranked in the top 10 nationally in walks (2nd), sacrifice flies (4th) and on-base percentage (7th), runs per game (7.52, 7th), and hit by pitch (57, 8th). Additionally, Arkansas out-hit the opposition in 41 games during the 2025 campaign, the most in program history. The Razorbacks’ run production also helped Arkansas set a new program record in run-rule victories with 23, shattering the previous record of 16 set back in 2014. Individually, at the plate, the Razorbacks were highlighted by 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Bri Ellis, who put together one of the greatest offensive seasons in NCAA history. She batted .440 with 26 home runs, 72 RBI, 146 total bases, 69 walks, and 68 runs scored while posting a 1.090 slugging percentage, a .639 on-base percentage, and a 1.729 OPS. Her 26 homers, 72 RBI, 68 runs scored, 1.090 slugging percentage and .639 on-base percentage were single-season program records. She also tied the SEC single-season record with 26 round-trippers. Gasso’s tutelage helped Ellis and Courtney Day become just the second pair of teammates in program history to drive in over 60 runs in a single season.
During his first season in Fayetteville, Gasso helped guide the Razorbacks to a 37-18 mark (14-10 SEC) and a No. 12 national seed in the NCAA tournament. Under Gasso’s tutelage, first baseman Bri Ellis earned NFCA All-America honors after posting a career-best .322 batting average and .444 on-base percentage with 14 home runs, 47 RBI, 36 runs scored and 97 total bases.
Gasso completed his third season as the hitting coach for the Utah Utes in 2023. Since being hired as an assistant coach in June 2020, Gasso has navigated Utah’s offense to unparalleled success, a Pac-12 Tournament Championship and a Women’s College World Series appearance in 2023 – the program’s first WCWS appearance since 1994. Gasso was promoted to associate head coach in December 2022.
Following the 2023 campaign, Gasso was part of a staff that earned ATEC/NFCA Pacific Region Coaching Staff of the Year along with being recognized as D1Softball’s National Coaching Staff of the Year.
During his three-year stint at Utah, 11 Utah hitters garnered NFCA All-Region status while one clinched NFCA All-America accolades.
Under Gasso’s tutelage in 2023, the Utes increased their batting average by nearly 40 points compared to their mark in 2022 and finished 15th nationally in scoring (6.05). The Utes seized single-season program records in runs (351), RBIs (316), slugging percentage (.483), doubles (84) and steals (99). Utah also tied for fifth nationally in batting average (.327) and blasted the program’s most home runs (47) since 2006.
Gasso continued to make strides with Utah’s offense in 2022, helping the team improve its batting average by 22 points to .289 compared to its .267 average in 2021. Four hitters were named to the All-Pac-12 team, three named to NFCA All-Region squads and one claimed NFCA All-American status.
Making an immediate impact on the Utah program in his first season in 2021, the Utes hit 46 home runs, the most by a Utah team since 2012, and scored 237 runs, their most since 2017.
A native of Norman, Okla., Gasso earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from Bradley University in 2017 where he spent two seasons as a standout baseball player after one year at Hutchinson Community College.
Gasso completed his collegiate baseball career at Central Oklahoma in 2018, slashing .303/.395/.364 as a senior. Beginning his postgraduate work at Central Oklahoma, Gasso finished his master’s degree in intercollegiate athletics administration at the University of Oklahoma while serving as a graduate manager for Oklahoma softball from 2018-19.
A graduate of Norman North High School, Gasso is the son of Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso and the brother of Oklahoma assistant coach JT Gasso. His father, Jim Gasso, is the head softball coach at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City.
DJ and his wife Grace have a son, Parker.
