Linfield College head coach Jackson Vaughan, along with assistants Lisa Allen, Greg Herman and Ben Blosser, have been named the 2007 NFCA Division III Coaching Staff of the Year, the association announced Monday.
The Linfield staff, which also claimed West region honors, will be honored at the 2007 NFCA National Convention that will be held Nov. 28-Dec. 1 at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Vaughan and his staff led the Wildcats to their first national title after finishing 45-7 overall. His team included seven individuals who batted over .400, and collectively the ‘Cats hit at a .388 clip. Eighteen new team records were established, including home runs (50), stolen bases (133) and winning percentage (.865). Linfield’s pitching staff posted a stellar 2.35 earned run average, while two Wildcats earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American honors.
Other regional coaching staffs include:
Atlantic Region
Emory University
Head Coach — Penny Siqueiros
Assistant Coaches — Gary Anderson, Michele Hawkins, Bill Hudson
Siqueiros and her staff picked up their second straight Atlantic Region CSOY honor after leading the Eagles to a fifth-place finish at the national tournament. The Eagles finished 33-8 overall, completing their seventh straight 30-plus win season.
Bridgewater College
Head Coach — Donnie Fulk
Assistant Coaches — Priscilla Halterman, Danny Conley, Skip Eger
Bridgewater had a breakthrough season, setting a school record for victories with a 40-8 record and making the program's first-ever regional appearance. Fulk and his staff led a team that ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring with an average of 8.48 runs per game.
Central Region
DePauw University
Head Coach — Bonnie Skrenta
Assistant Coaches — Clyde Spencer
Skrenta and Spencer led the Tigers to a couple of major firsts for the DePauw program, including a first-ever regional berth and a first-ever appearance in the national championship tournament. After finishing fifth nationally, the DePauw overall record was 37-7.
East Region
Moravian College
Head Coach — John Byrne
Assistant Coaches — Ron Cardinal, Rachel Mowrey, Geoffrey Deen, Mark Bentz, Heather Bortz
Moravian made its 10th consecutive regional appearance under Byrne, and finished seventh in the national tournament in its second appearance in four years. The Greyhounds posted a 35-7 overall record, the ninth time in which they have won 30-plus games under Byrne, including the last seven.
Great Lakes Region
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Head Coach — Leslie Huntington
Assistant Coaches — Robin Baker, Billie Buss, Nicole Pederson, Rachel Lemon
Huntington and her staff guided Eau Claire to its best finish ever, a third-place finish at the national championship. The Blugolds’ final record of 38-14 also represents the third best single season win total in school history.
Midwest Region
Washington University in St. Louis
Head Coach — Leticia Pineda-Boutte'
Assistant Coaches — Stacy Mui, Kris Caldwell
Washington-St. Louis won its first ever regional championship and finished as national championship runners-up in just its eighth season as a varsity program. Pineda-Boutte' and her staff led the Bears to a 35-7 overall record and their fourth consecutive UAA championship.
New England Region
Rhode Island College
Head Coach — Maria Morin
Assistant Coaches — Ken Stanley, Kristen Norberg
Morin and her staff led Rhode Island to a 41-7 overall record and a seventh-place finish at the national tournament. The Anchorwomen made just their second regional appearance and set a school-record for wins, including a 22-game win streak.
Northeast Region
Plattsburgh State University
Head Coach — Sean Cotter
Assistant Coaches — Jamie Trudeau
Plattsburgh State finished at 37-14 after winning its first-ever Northeast Regional title. Cotter and his staff, who pick up their second consecutive regional CSOY honor, led the Cardinals to a fourth-place finish at the national tournament, defeating five higher-seeded teams to reach the quarterfinals.
