LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The NFCA is honored to announce that Tufts University head coach Heather Ross is the 2026 recipient of the Association’s Donna Newberry “Perseverance” Award, which recognizes an NFCA member coach who has demonstrated extraordinary strength of will and character in the fight to overcome a physical, mental, or social adversity that presented an additional challenge to the already demanding job of a coach.

Ross, who was just hired at Tufts in September after leading Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to its two best seasons in school history to conclude a successful five-year run, was diagnosed with Stage III metastatic melanoma in June 2025.

Two months later, she began immunotherapy treatments, traveling to Boston weekly. Then, in September, she underwent surgery to remove 50 lymph nodes from her chest and shoulder areas.

Despite the physical and emotional challenges that came with her diagnosis, surgery, recovery and ongoing treatment, Ross remained deeply committed to her student-athletes and her softball program. She provided the same leadership, support, and stability her players had always known from her.

“Coach Ross did not miss a single game,” said Mandi Chaiyabhat, an assistant coach at WPI who followed her to Tufts. “She even showed up days after her surgery to the team’s fall playdate.”

“Although the challenges she faced personally were far greater than anything that could happen during a softball game, her presence provided a powerful example of perseverance to her players. She showed her athletes that adversity does not erase a person's life passions, or desire to pour into others. Strength is not always about having an easy path; sometimes it is about continuing to show up and give your best even when the path becomes difficult.”

Chaiyabhat was one of the two award nominators for Ross, along with friend Dani Bishop, the head coach at Brandeis University.

“She faced an incredibly difficult personal battle while continuing to lead her program with strength, determination, and perseverance,” Bishop wrote.

That perseverance carried into an historic 2026 season. WPI finished the year with a remarkable 44-5 record, including a 19-1 mark in New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play. The Engineers captured both the NEWMAC regular-season and tournament championships and earned the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.

Ross was named NEWMAC Coach of the Year and seven of her players earned All-NEWMAC honors, including freshman pitcher Abby Merchant, who was voted NEWMAC Rookie of the Year. A program-record seven players earned NFCA All-Region recognition, including four first-team selections, and three of those were chosen NFCA All-Americans.

What makes these accomplishments even more remarkable is everything Ross was managing away from the softball field. She continued balancing the demands of coaching a nationally-ranked program with cancer treatment and recovery. Ross also was a member of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee the past two seasons.

“A cancer diagnosis can change a person's life in an instant. It brings uncertainty and challenges that extend far beyond everyday responsibilities,” Chaiyabhat said. “Yet, throughout this difficult chapter, she remained committed to the players and program she had worked so hard to build.”

“Leading a college softball team requires far more than making lineup decisions or calling plays. A head coach is responsible for creating a culture, mentoring student-athletes, managing expectations, and guiding a team through both victories and disappointments. She continued to embody those responsibilities while navigating one of the most difficult personal challenges imaginable, a cancer diagnosis. Instead of teaching resilience through speeches, Heather was a living example.”

“Her players saw firsthand what it means to persevere through circumstances beyond your control while continuing to show up for the people who depend on you,” Bishop added. “Heather's 2026 season will be remembered for championships, records and individual honors, but her greatest accomplishment cannot be measured in wins and losses. Her courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to her student-athletes embody the spirit of perseverance. At a time when it would have been completely understandable for softball to take a back seat, Heather continued to lead, mentor, and inspire those around her.”

ABOUT NEWBERRY
Newberry, the all-time winningest coach in the history of NCAA Division III softball when she passed away in November 2010, spent 36 seasons with Muskingum College athletics. During that time, she transitioned the Muskies from a slowpitch team to a perennial national fastpitch contender in Division III.

Over those 36 seasons, Newberry amassed a record of 906-419-1 and helped guide Muskingum to 17 conference championships, 18 NCAA regional appearances, eight national championship appearances and the 2001 NCAA Division III national championship. Newberry was the only Division III coach to be named national coach of the year in two sports – softball and basketball. As Muskingum’s women’s basketball coach, Newberry earned 403 victories and three OAC championships. 

She was a 10-time Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, a seven-time NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honoree and in 2001, the Muskingum staff was named as the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year. In 2008, Newberry was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame.

Newberry demonstrated her perseverance as she coached what would be her final season in the spring of 2010. While undergoing chemotherapy treatments during her third bout with breast cancer, she led the Lady Muskies to the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament for the 25th consecutive time. 

In the months before her death, Muskingum dedicated its softball field in her honor, renaming it the Donna J. Newberry Softball Field. In addition, Newberry finished a book about her coaching career and experiences — "You Must Play to Win: A Coach's Journey from the Pit to the Pinnacle.”

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its extensive awards and scholarships program, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from NFCA podcasts to a comprehensive drills database, to in-person events and a National Convention.

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