College Softball News

College Assistant Coaching Carousel

As many schools across the country start fall semester. Coaching moves continue to happen in the Assistant coaching circuit including some big names getting hired.

Megan Langenfeld Returns to Pac-12 joining the Oregon coaching staff

Megan Langenfeld returns to the Pac-12 as an assistant coach under new head coach Melyssa Lombardi. Langenfeld was a three-time All-American and 2010 national champion as a player with UCLA. Langenfeld comes to the Ducks after spending the 2018 season as the pitching coach at UC Riverside. Langenfeld was an assistant coach at Stanford from 2015 to 2017.

Michigan State Hires Corrie Hill as an asisstant coach

Corrie Hill returns to DI after being hired on Wednesday as Michigan States new hitting coach. Hill spent the 2018 season as an interim head coach at UT-Dallas. Hill was an assistant coach at UCF in 2017 after spending over a decade at Texas (2006-2016). Hill replaces Kaela Jackson who returned to her alma mater South Carolina as an assistant coach on July 25. Hill becomes the third coach that has coached at UCF and now joins the Big Ten conference joining new Iowa head coach Renee Luers Gillispie (UCF Head Coach 02-18) and assistant coach Trena Prater ( UCF asst 2018) who both joined the Hawkeyes program this fall.

UCF Completes Coaching Staff with Jenn Salling, Victoria Hayward and Kendra Lynch.

As first reported by SB Nation’s Black and Gold Banneret, New UCF Head Coach Cindy Ball completed her staff by hiring former North Carolina Tar Heels two way player Kendra Lynch as an assistant coach along with Team Canada and former Washington Huskies star players Jenn Salling (Volunteer coach) and Victoria Hayward (Director of Ops).

Lynch spent the 2018 season as a grad assistant at Florida State after playing for North Carolina (2014-2017) as a pitcher and outfielder. Salling who is on Team Canada and was part of Huskies 2009 National Championship will serve as a volunteer coach. Salling was a grad manager at Washington recently and has spent time in Orlando participating at the Pro Swings clinics which are run by UCF Athletics Hall of Famer shortstop Stephanie Best.

Hayward comes to UCF after serving one season as an assistant coach at Maryland in 2018. Heyward spent two seasons as an assistant at UMass (2016-2017) and was at LSU in 2015 as a grad assistant. Heyward, like Salling, is currently on Team Canada, a team that finished third at the recent World Championships. Salling and Hayward reunite with Ball who was an assistant coach at Washington in 2011 when Salling and Heyward were members of Huskies team that year.

Gillispie Completes Iowa Coaching Staff With Lori Duncan

https://twitter.com/iowasoftball/status/1027226220541485058

New Hawkeyes Head Coach Renee Luers Gillispie completed her Hawkeyes coaching staff by hiring Lori Duncan as a volunteer coach. Gillispie continues her aggressive approach of hiring coaches with in-state ties after hiring longtime high school Rick Dillinger recently and now adding Duncan.

Duncan was previously the head coach at Pleasant Valley High School in Iowa for ten years.

Prior to Pleasant Valley, Duncan spent four years as an assistant coach at LSU under NFCA Hall of Famer Yvette Girouard, where she won three SEC conference titles, one regional championship, and made two NCAA Women’s College World Series appearances. Duncan reunites with Trena Prater who played at LSU when Duncan was on the Tigers coaching staff.

In her first stint as an Iowa high school coach at North Scott, Duncan captured a state championship in 2002, while finishing second in the state in 2003.

Jillian Van Wagnen Joins Pittsburgh Coaching Staff

https://twitter.com/Pitt_SB/status/1031972432813404160

As first reported on In The Circle on Fastpitch News Podcast, Jillian Van Wagnen is following Head Coach Jodi Hermanek coming from Ohio University to Pittsburgh. Van Wagnen played for Hermanek at Ohio as well and will run the Panthers defense and coach the slappers.

Maddie Holub Leaves Saint Leo to be Marshall Assistant Coach

Marshall new Head Coach Megan Smith completed her staff by hiring Maggie Holub to be the Herd pitching coach. Holub was at Saint Leo as the pitching coach. Saint Leo made it to one of last four teams standing this past season at D2’s version of Women’s College World Series in Salem, Virginia.

Check out In The Circle on Fastpitch News Podcast from August 20th as we broke down all the major head coaching and assistant coaching moves from the offseason.

 

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