LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ten programs, half of which advanced to the Women’s College World Series, were recognized by their peers as 2026 ATEC/NFCA Division I Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, announced the Association on Friday.

Representing each of the NFCA’s 10 Division I regions, these respective coaching staffs –University of Arkansas (Central), Duke University (East), Indiana University, Bloomington (Great Lakes), University of Central Florida (Gulf), University of Tennessee, Knoxville  (Mid-Atlantic), University of Oklahoma (Midwest), University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Mountain), Boston University (Northeast), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa (South) and University of California, Los Angeles (West)  – garnered Coaching Staff of the Year honors. These 10 programs, along with the national champion Texas, are eligible for the NFCA’s Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 18.

Regional (respective region only) and National Coaching Staffs of the Year are voted on by active member head coaches.

Central: Arkansas

Head Coach: Courtney Deifel
Associate Head Coaches: DJ Gasso, Matt Meuchel • Assistant Coach: Parker Staggs
Director of Operations: Dan Bartosik

Overall Record: 47-13 

Advanced to the WCWS for the first time in program history as the No. 5 overall seed … Swept through Regionals and Super Regionals (No. 12 Duke) … Accumulated second most wins in program history, one shy of the school record … Ranked in the NFCA/GoRout DI Top 25 Coaches Poll for 102 consecutive weeks, ranked between No. 7 and 10 all year.

East: Duke

Head Coach: Marissa Young
Associate Head Coaches: Olivia Watkins, Taylor Wike
Assistant Coach: Jala Wright

Overall Record: 43-17 

Advanced to its fourth Super Regional in the last five years … Had to defeat Arizona twice on the final day to win the Durham Regional as the tournament’s No. 12 overall seed … Fell to No. 5 seed Arkansas in Super Regionals … Set program single-season highs in hits (587), runs (445), doubles (101), home runs (117) and RBI (415) … Ranked in the final eight weeks of the NFCA/GoRout DI Top 25 Coaches Poll, reaching as high as No. 12, and in a total of 12 polls overall.

Great Lakes: Indiana

Head Coach: Shonda Stanton
Associate Head Coach: Chanda Bell • Assistant Coach: Kendra Kirkhoff
Director of Operations: Cassie Hendrix

Overall Record: 43-16

Earned fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid … Posted a 1-2 mark at the Knoxville Regional, picking up a win over Northern Kentucky … Set program records for runs scored (470), hits (523), walks (235), home runs (87) and RBIs (429) … Eighth 40-win season … Additionally, posted the second best offensive totals in doubles (105), triples (26), stolen bases (136), hit-by-pitch (77) and batting average (.346).

Gulf: UCF

Head Coach: Cindy Ball-Malone
Assistant Coach: Noah Sanders, Stacie Pestrak, Shannon Saile

Overall Record: 41-19-1 

Made second Super Regional appearance under Ball-Malone, first since 2022 … Advanced out of the Tallahassee Regional with a 3-1 record, picking up wins over Jacksonville State, Stetson and host and No. 9 seed Florida State … It was their first regional title on the road … Defeated by No. 9 seed UCLA in Super Regionals … Set program single-season records for home runs (73) … First 40-win season as a member of the Big 12 (three seasons) … Ranked in the NFCA/GoRout DI Top 25 Coaches Poll the final six weeks of the season and a total of nine on the year.

Mid-Atlantic: Tennessee

Head Coach: Karen Weekly
Assistant Coaches: Megan Rhodes Smith, Craig Snider, Stephanie Sanders

Overall Record: 49-12

National semifinalist as No. 7 overall seed in the program’s 10^th WCWS appearance, third in the last four seasons … Won first seven games of the postseason before falling to national champion Texas twice in the semifinals … Picked up wins over the Longhorns and national runner-up Texas Tech to open the tournament … Swept Regionals with two victories over Virginia and dispatched of No. 10 seed Georgia in Super Regionals … Started the season 26-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the NFCA/GoRout DI Top 25 Coaches Poll for five weeks and inside the top 10 all seasons.

Midwest: Oklahoma

Head Coach: Patty Gasso
Associate Head Coaches: Jennifer Rocha, JT Gasso
Assistant Coach: Falepolima Steele • Interim Coach: Karlie Keeney

Overall Record: 52-10

Advanced to Super Regionals for the 16^th consecutive season as the No. 3 seed … Made their 32^nd consecutive NCAA Tournament … Swept the Norman Regional with wins over Binghamton, Kansas and Michigan … Fell to Mississippi State in Super Regionals … Had its streak of 399 consecutive games without being shut out snapped in game three against the Bulldogs … Won their second consecutive SEC regular-season title (20-4), winning all eight conference series … 10^th consecutive season with 50-plus victories … Ranked No. 1 for three weeks in the NFCA/GoRout DI Top 25 Coaches Poll and no lower than sixth all season.

Mountain: Nebraska

Head Coach: Rhonda Revelle
Associate Head Coach: Lori Sippel • Assistant Coaches: Diane Miller, Olivia Ferrell 

Overall Record: 52-8

Steered the Huskers to their first WCWS appearance since 2013 as the No. 4 seed  … Posted a 1-2 mark in Oklahoma City after sweeping through Regionals and Super Regionals … Hosted a Super Regional for the first time in program history … Tied the program’s single-season record for wins and recorded the highest winning percentage (.867) … Won both the Big Ten’s regular season and tournament titles … Program-record 27-game win streak was snapped by Alabama on day three of the WCWS … The Huskers were not shut out all season for the first time, scoring at least one run in all 60 contests … Husker pitchers set a program record with 509 strikeouts … Ranked No. 1 in the NFCA/GoRout DI Top 25 Coaches Poll at the end of the regular season for the first time in program history.

Northeast: Boston University

Head Coach: Ashley Waters
Associate Head Coach: Becca Carden • Assistant Coach: Allie Brewster

Overall Record: 47-15

Made the program’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 completed seasons under Waters … Captured both the Patriot League’s regular season and tournament titles … Went 1-2 at the Lubbock Regional, picking up a win over Marist … Set numerous program records in 2026 - batting average (.335), slugging percentage (.538), on-base percentage (.443), runs scored (473), hits (549), doubles (92), homers (68) and RBIs (415) ... Third 47-plus win season in four years and has been at the helm for four of BU’s six career 40+ win seasons.

South: Alabama

Head Coach: Patrick Murphy
Assistant Coaches: Lance McMahon, Kayla Braud, Adam Arbour

Overall Record: 56-9

National semifinalist (eighth appearance) as the No. 1 overall seed … 2-2 in their 16^th trip to the WCWS and finished 5-2 overall in the postseason, sweeping Regionals and Super Regionals (No. 16 LSU) … Recorded the most wins since 2019 and the highest winning percentage (.862) since 2012 … Its 102 home runs, .567 slugging percentage and 26 shutouts are all the second-highest single-season totals … Reached the finals of the SEC tournament … Started the season 25-0, which tied the fourth best start in program history … Ranked in the top 10 all regular season in the NFCA/GoRout DI Top 25 Coaches Poll reaching as high as No. 3.

West: UCLA

Head Coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez
Associate Head Coach: Lisa Fernandez • Assistant Coaches: Rob Schweyer, Mysha Sataraka

Overall Record: 53-10

Appeared in its 34^th WCWS, the most of any Division I program, and their 10^th trip in 11 seasons … As the No. 8 seed, UCLA swept through regional action and Super Regionals (UCF) … 1-2 at the WCWS, picking up a win over Arkansas … Big Ten regular season and tournament runner up … Recorded an offensive season for the ages in 2026, setting NCAA single-season records for home runs (209), runs scored (672), RBI (643), total bases (1,408) and extra-base hits (234) … Led by Megan Grant’s NCAA-record 42 home runs and Jordan Woolery’s 36, eight Bruins’ hit double-digit homers, four with at least 20 … Also led the country in scoring (10.67), slugging (.825), on-base percentage (.490) and walks (325).

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ATEC/NFCA NCAA DI Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year