Rounding Third Softball

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.

Thomas University Head Coach Bill Wilson has indicated his intentions to retire. The longtime coach took to Social Media on Friday to make the announcement that will be official on September 24. Wilson spent 21 seasons as a collegiate head coach, the last 14 with TU. During that time he compiled a record of 501-426-2.

North Texas has named Jason Gwyn to their coaching staff. Gwyn joins the Mean Green from Hebron High School where he led the softball program from 2017- 2021. He returns to Denton where he spent two seasons as an assistant at Texas Woman’s University. Gwyn also helmed the Austrian National Team in 2008 when the team placed third in the European Championships.

Louisiana-Monroe has announced a three-year contract extension for head coach Molly Fichtner. Her new deal takes her through the 2024 season and pays her a base salary of $65,000. The extension also includes added annual graduated compensation increases along with competition incentives. Fichtner took leadership of the Warhawks beginning with the 2019 season and has compiled a 41-88 overall record while going 14-34 in Sun Belt Conference play.

Incarnate Word has filled out their coaching staff hiring assistants Hunter Bunch and Travis Owen. Bunch joins the Cardinals as hitting coach after working on the club ball level most recently as the hitting analytics coach for the Texas Bombers Organization. Owen will serve as UIW’s pitching coach and his most recent stop was as head coach at DII Minnesota-Crookston.

Paige McMenemy has been named head coach at Tiffin. The appointment to the DII school is her first head coaching assignment after serving on the coaching staff at Toledo since 2019. While with the Rockets, McMenemy helped guide the team to its first Mid-American Conference Tournament title in program history and an appearance in the NCAA Postseason. She takes over at TU after longtime coach Jeff Nickerson resigned after leading the program for 14 seasons.

The NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee earlier today approved expanding the Women’s College World Series to a nine-day event, beginning with the 2022 championship. The format change will eliminate the doubleheader for teams that lose on Day 1 of the event, and it will also add a day of rest for the two teams that advance to the championship final. This event expansion changes the dates of the WCWS from June 2-7/8 to June 2-9/10 in 2022.

Stonehill College has named Ali Maloof their new head coach. Maloof spent the last six seasons on staffs at Wellesley College and her alma mater Southern New Hampshire University. At SNHU, she enjoyed a decorated playing career being named three-time NE10 Pitcher of the Year, NE10 Player of the Year, and an All-American. Maloof takes the reins of the Skyhawks program after the passing of former head coach Ken LeGrice in the spring, following a long and courageous battle with cancer.