Ten programs garner 2024 ATEC/NFCA Division III Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ten NCAA Division III programs were selected by their peers as the 2024 ATEC/NFCA Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, the Association announced on Wednesday.
Representing each of the NFCA’s 10 Division III regions, these respective coaching staffs – Husson University (Region I), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Region II), University of Rochester (Region III), Rowan University (Region IV), Eastern University (Region V), Virginia Wesleyan University (Region VI), Trine University (Region VII), University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (Region VIII), Central College (Region IX) and Texas Lutheran University (Region X) – are now eligible for the ATEC/NFCA Division III National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 12.
Threeof this year’s regional recipients — Rowan, Virginia Wesleyan and Wisconsin-Oshkosh — advanced to the eight-team NCAA Division III World Series at Bell Park at Taylor Field on the campus of East Texas Baptist University.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rochester, Rowan and Trine all were regional winners last season. Rochester (2021, 2023, 2024) and Texas Lutheran (2021, 2022, 2024) have been honored three times in the past four seasons, while Virginia Wesleyan and Wisconsin-Oshkosh have been recognized twice in the last four years (both also in 2021).
Regional (respective region only) and National Coaching Staffs of the Year are voted on by member head coaches.
Region I – Husson University
Interim Head Coach:Rick Roberts
Assistant Coaches:Dr. Lee Speronis, Amy LeBlanc, Kylie Libby and Whitney Jones
Went 37-6 and was undefeated for two-plus months, winning school-record 30 straight games before a loss in opener of NCAA Regionals … Lost in NCAA Regional final to Williams … Made sixth consecutive appearance in NCAA tournament … Captured sixth straight North Atlantic Conference tournament crown.
Region II – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Head Coach:Madison Trotman
Assistant Coaches:Emily Kraytenberg, Keri Lehtonen and Amanda Genovese
Went 30-14 and reached the NCAA tournament again under the second-year head coach … Lost in NCAA Regional final to eventual World Series participant Rowan … Made third consecutive appearance in NCAA tournament (school did not compete in any sports in 2021, following COVID cancellation in 2020) … Won second straight New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference tournament crown.
Region III – University of Rochester
Head Coach:Abby Hurley-Martin
Assistant Coach:Cass Herman
Volunteer Assistant Coach: Bradley Shannon
Student Managers:Katie White and Alyssa Graegin
Went 32-9 and made fourth consecutive NCAA appearance, first under new coach … Lost in NCAA Regional final to eventual World Series participant Tufts … Captured fourth straight Liberty League championship.
Region IV – Rowan University
Head Coach:Kim Wilson
Assistant Coaches:Mary Murray, Shilah Minerva, Ann Dailey and Megan Murzello
Went 41-10 and reached NCAA World Series for eighth time in program history and second straight season … Finished tied for third nationally … Defeated Christopher Newport in NCAA Super Regional round … Defeated MIT to win NCAA Regional title … Captured 12th New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament title in program history and second crown in last three years.
Region V – Eastern University
Head Coach:Terri Adams
Assistant Coaches:Holly Bridgman, Gerard Mauro, Victoria Galvan, Ashley Spencer and Mark Lesher
Went 30-8 … Lost in NCAA Regional round … Won program’s first MAC Commonwealth tournament title behind NFCA Freshman of the Year finalist Danika Barthol’s no-hitter.
Region VI – Virginia Wesleyan University
Head Coach:Brandon Elliott
Assistant Coaches:Brianna Burger, Jim Quinn, Chris Smith and Jenna Wilson
Went 40-10 and reached NCAA World Series for fourth time in last seven tournaments played … Defeated Muskingum in NCAA Super Regional round … Defeated Lebanon Valley to win NCAA Regional title … Advanced to Super Regionals for sixth time in last seven NCAA tournaments … Won Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament title for eighth time in last 10 seasons, seventh time in last eight, and record 15th time in conference history … Overcame more than 225 combined player games lost to injury/illness this season.
Region VII – Trine University
Head Coach:Donnie Danklefsen
Assistant Coaches:Sydnie Foster and Dennis Smith
Went 43-5 … Reached NCAA Super Regionals for third consecutive season … Lost in NCAA Super Regional final to World Series participant Wisconsin-Oshkosh … Defeated Mount Union to win NCAA Regional title … Won third straight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament crown … No. 1 team in NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for first seven weeks of season.
Region VIII – University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Head Coach:Scott Beyer
Assistant Coaches:Kaitlyn Krol and Steve Scheibe
Went 45-7 … Reached third NCAA World Series in program history … Finished tied for fifth nationally … Set Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) record for wins by a conference softball team, and topped 1990 Oshkosh volleyball squad’s 44 victories for most by any sports team in a season in school history … Defeated reigning national champion Trine in NCAA Super Regional round … Defeated Saint Benedict to win NCAA Regional title … Lost to Wisconsin-Whitewater in WIAC tournament final.
Region IX – Central College
Head Coach:George Wares
Associate Head Coach:Alicia O’Brien
Assistant Coaches:Keith Jones, John Edwards, Brenda Coldren and Eric Fay
Went 33-13 … 29th 30-win season in program history … Made Division III-record 32nd NCAA softball tournament appearance … Lost in NCAA Super Regional final to Linfield … Dealt top-ranked Linfield just second loss of season in 4-2, 11-inning victory in Super Regional opener … Defeated Bethel to win NCAA Regional title … Lost to Coe in American Rivers Conference tournament final.
Region X – Texas Lutheran University
Head Coach:Wade Wilson
Assistant Coaches:Kyla Lockley, Ed Zarzabal, James Fuqua and Scott Smith
Volunteer Assistant Coaches: Jerry Miller and Sarah Metzer
Went 33-5 … Lost in NCAA Regional championship game to eventual World Series finalist East Texas Baptist … Won 25 of final 28 games … Claimed ninth Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title in last 10 seasons.
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