Rounding Third Softball

RTS is saddened to report the passing of Langston University Head Coach Hosea Bell. A coach well-beloved by his players, peers, and throughout the sport, Bell spent the past nine seasons leading the Lions. Before coming to LU he spent 15 seasons as head coach at Sterling College in Kansas. Bell achieved 795 victories during his career.

Washington has named Kyle Nobach, Ashley Davis-Carter, and Sis Bates to their coaching staff.

Nobach joins the Huskies staff after a standout playing career on the baseball team at Oregon State. His coaching background includes serving as associate head coach and hitting coach for the baseball team at Everett Community College in 2018. He then added the position of head coach of the Bend Elks, a summer collegiate baseball team, to his resume in 2019.

Ashley Davis-Carter served as the head coach at La Cueva High School in New Mexico in 2011. In 2015, she joined Menlo College as an assistant softball coach before being named the head coach at Notre Dame de Namur University in 2016. She returned to Menlo College in 2018 as an assistant coach for two seasons before being named the head coach at nearby Shoreline Community college.

Sis Bates, one of the greatest players in UW History, will serve as student assistant coach. RTS reported last summer she would be returning to Washington to join the staff in some capacity. Bates was most recently the 2021 Tom Hansen Medal winner, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and became the all-time hits leader in Washington history.

Alyssa Tiumalu has been named the new head coach at Iona. Tiumalu takes over leadership of the Gaels after a very successful run on the coaching staff at St. John’s. She helped guide the Red Storm to two Big East Regular Season Championships and was named as part of the Coaching Staff of the Year in both 2017 and 2019.

South Florida has named program alum Karla Claudio Rivera their new pitching coach. She moves into the position after it was initially accepted by former UNLV and Santa Clara coach Lisa Dodd back in June. Dodd would eventually reverse course and decide not to join the Bulls coaching staff. Rivera starred in the circle and at the plate for USF in 2014 and 2015. She came to the Bulls after playing two seasons on the JUCO level at Santa Fe College. Claudio Rivera also competed for the Puerto Rican National Team and in the European professional ranks while working on the coaching staff at Santa Fe between 2016-2018.

William Peace University has named Toni Wood to their coaching staff. Wood (formerly Williford) is a former North Carolina State standout in the outfield and will head up that unit for WPU. During her time between 2008-2012, she hit in the leadoff spot for the Wolfpack. In the 2011 season she reached base in 15 straight games and had 11 multi-hit games.

RTS has confirmed through multiple sources that Greensboro College will name Meredith Mills their new head coach. Mills takes over The Pride after most recently serving as an assistant on the coaching staff at her alma mater North Carolina Wesleyan.

Hofstra has announced the hiring of Kristyn Sandberg as assistant coach. Sandberg joins new head coach Adrienne Clark’s staff coming from leading the program at Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, NY. The former University of Georgia and professional softball standout also has made collegiate coaching stops as part of staffs at LSU and Syracuse.

After nearly a four month search for the new leader of their softball program, UT-Dallas has landed on former volunteer assistant coach Kelly Archer. Archer was on the Comets coaching staff in the volunteer role from 2015-2019. He was part of the staff that led UTD to its only conference championship in 2017. Archer was most recently the head coach at Prince of Peace Christian School in Carrollton, Texas from 2019-2021.

Minnesota-Duluth has named Lynn Anderson their new head coach. Anderson joins the Bulldogs after serving in the same capacity at Grinnell College the past three seasons. Before leading the Pioneers in Iowa, she spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Sources have confirmed to RTS that former Chicago Bandits skipper Darrick Brown will be named to the coaching staff at Stetson. A veteran coach of the sport, Brown led the Bandits to an NPF Championship in 2011. The accomplished men’s fastpitch player has also had collegiate coaching stops at Olivet College, Davenport University, Kellogg Community College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Glen Oaks Community College. He is expected to head up the Hatters pitching staff.