Ed Kleis began as an assistant coach for the Bellarmine University softball team in the 2011 season and brings years of experience to the staff.
In 2017, Kleis helped rally Bellarmine into the GLVC Tournament after a 3-11 start to conference play. The Knights followed by going 11-3 against league opponents in the regular season and then won a pair of games in the GLVC Tournament, including a 4-0 blanking of No. 6 Southern Indiana.
In 2016, Kleis helped guide Bellarmine to the second-most wins in program history at 33. The Knights exceeded 30 wins for a program-record third-straight season and advanced to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
In 2015, Kleis helped lead the Knights to a 32-16 record, including 20-8 in the GLVC, marking the first back-to-back 30-win seasons in program history. It was the fourth-straight season in which BU accumulated at least 20 wins in conference play. The 32 victories tied for the second most in Bellarmine history.
Kleis helped guide Bellarmine to a landmark season in 2014. The Knights set school records for overall wins (37), GLVC victories (27) and consecutive wins (12) while finishing as the runner-up in the GLVC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in school history.
Kleis also assisted in Bellarmine's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, which came in 2012. The team's 32 wins that season tied the school record before the 2014 edition of the Knights surpassed the mark.
With the help of Kleis' tutelage, Ally Foster in 2014 became the first All-American for BU softball, earning consensus first-team honors after also being named the GLVC Player of the Year. Foster earned second-team All-America accolades in 2016.
Kleis' successful career playing in men’s major and Class A fastpitch softball includes being a part of 11 state championship teams.
Kleis has umpired at the high school and collegiate level, including several prep regional tournaments and a handful of state tournaments. In 2000, Kleis was chosen to umpire the United States Olympic Blue/Gold game. In 2006-07, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association awarded Kleis the Outstanding Umpire of the Year award.
Kleis has worked with players from all levels of play, including a U16 girls league while living in Tampa, Florida.
A graduate of Western Kentucky University, Kleis has a wife, Lila, and also works in the Department of Juvenile Justice.
