LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Collecting its fourth national title in the last six seasons, Southern Oregon University was voted by its peers as the 2025 ATEC/NFCA NAIA National Coaching Staff of the Year, the Association announced on Wednesday.
Under the direction of head coach Jessica Pistole, along with assistants Cheyenne Bricker, Harlee Crown, Bill Rowe, Hannah Clavelle and Kim Budd, Southern Oregon became the first team in the NAIA Softball World Series to win the tournament after losing the first game. After dropping a 12-inning affair to Marian in the opener, the Raiders, who entered as the No. 3 overall seed, reeled off wins in seven-consecutive elimination games, including the winner-take-all championship game against Oklahoma City University.
The NAIA’s unanimous No. 1 team at the end of the season finished 2025 at 55-9, matching the program’s single-season wins record, and won a share of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC), its first regular-season crown since 2021. It is the third national coaching award for Pistole and her staff (2021, 2019). Over her 10 years in Ashland, the Raiders have won 469 contests, advanced to seven of the last eight World Series, won five regular-season titles and captured three straight tournament crowns from 2017-19.
SOU, a representative of Region III, was joined by Louisiana State University at Alexandria (Region I), Southeastern University (Region II), Eastern Oregon University (Region IV), Grand View University (Region V) and University of the Cumberlands (Region VI) - as NAIA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year recipients.
Pistole and her staff will be recognized at the NFCA Awards Brunch on Dec. 13 at the 2025 NFCA Convention in Las Vegas.
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