Courtesy of Jacksonville Athletics
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University’s softball Head Coach Jen Steele has bolstered her coaching staff with the addition of Assistant Coach Amanda Haverman. Haverman, a former standout at East Tennessee State, joins JU following a four-year stint at Norfolk State.
“Amanda is a perfect fit to round out our staff,” said Steele. “She was involved in every facet of the Norfolk State program and her experience in helping rebuild a program will be most beneficial. She possesses a strong work ethic and passion for the game, two traits that I want to become part of our culture here at JU. I am extremely excited to have her on board.”
During her first three years at NSU, the Spartans dramatically improved their offensive prowess, highlighted by the program’s best-ever Division I season in 2013 where they went 31-22. Assisting in all aspects of the program, Haverman was instrumental in the Spartans’ four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament appearances, which included a trip to the championship game and the team’s national rankings in batting average (10th), doubles per game (11th) and home runs per game (16th).
Each year Haverman was with the Spartans, the team’s hitting achieved significant progress from one season to the next. In just one year, the Spartans batting average improved from .251 in 2009 to .294 in 2010, and a year later home runs increased from 5 to 16. Her leadership also assisted NSU in having five starters bat over .300 in 2011 with the number moving to six in 2013 and 2014. Other achievements etched in Spartan program history include setting or tying 23 hitting records and breaking the record for most homers hit in a single season with 36.
Prior to Norfolk State, Haverman spent two years at Virginia Intermont College where she was directly responsible for hitters and pitchers. The Lady Cobras posted a winning record in the Appalachian Athletic Conference during both seasons she was there, with the team advancing all the way to the championship game in 2010 before falling short against Union College. Under Haverman’s coaching, the Lady Cobras finished first in the conference in home runs in 2010 and 16th in the nation among all NAIA schools.
A 2008 graduate of East Tennessee State, the Kirkwood, Missouri native received a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and minor in Management. She was also a four-year letter winner with the Buccaneers where she was named Atlantic Sun First Team All-Conference in 2007 and broke the school’s single-season RBI record along with tying the single-game hits record.
