Shannon Wathen Coach of the Year 5-3-18

Softball Jordan Alves

Wathen continues to set the standard in MSC softball; earns eighth Coach of the Year honor

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — For the eighth time in her career, head coach Shannon Wathen has been named the Mid-South Conference Softball Coach of the Year, officials announced at tonight's annual awards banquet. 
 
Wathen, who is in her 15thyear leading Campbellsville softball, owns more Coach of the Year awards than any softball coach in MSC history. The next is Thomas Thornton from Georgetown and former Lindsey Wilson coach Ashley McCool-Cozart (three times each). In addition, the eight awards matches the most in MSC history for any sport as Drew Burwash (Lindsey Wilson women's soccer) also has eight Coach of the Year honors in his 15 seasons. 
 
"The Lady Tiger Softball Program has become one of the most respected programs in the nation and this is directly related to the type of program that Shannon Wathen has built and sustained," said Director of Athletics, Jim Hardy. "She is very deserving of this honor and we are so glad she is part of our athletics department. I would like to say congratulations to Coach Wathen and good luck as you chase that national championship."
 
Wathen has led Campbellsville to matching its highest ranking in program history at No. 4 and a 41-8 overall record. The 41 wins is now the sixth 40-plus-win season in her tenure and tied for the third most wins in a single-season with the 2007 and 2012 teams. The most came in the 2016 season with 49 when Campbellsville won the MSC regular season, tournament and reached the NAIA Opening Round for the second time in program history. 
 
Against ranked foes this season, Campbellsville tallied a 9-2 record, including two wins over No. 11 Lindsey Wilson and an 8-2 victory over No. 8 William Carey in the Gulf Coast Invitational on March 4. 
 
CU won its eighth regular season in program history – another Mid-South Conference record – with a 23-5 conference mark. 
 
Overall in her career, Wathen has an overall record of 587-273-2. The wins rank her No. 3 in Campbellsville University history and No. 17 on the NAIA's list of winningest active coaches. 
 
Wathen, a 1999 graduate of Campbellsville, was a two-time NAIA All-American and two-time Kodak All-American for the Lady Tiger women's basketball program. She ended her playing career in the Top 10 in numerous CU stat categories, including 1,365 points, 690 rebounds, 600 assists, 275 steals and 59 blocks.
 
She began her coaching career as a women's basketball graduate assistant. She decided to return to Campbellsville University in 2000 as a Lady Tiger assistant basketball coach under former Hall of Fame Coach Donna Wise.
 
In 2003, she took over as head coach of the Lady Tiger softball program.
 
In 2005 the Lady Tigers notched their first of three straight Mid-South Conference regular season championships. CU won the MSC regular season again in 2009, co-champs in 2013 and 2015 and won the out-right title in 2016 - the programs seventh. Wathen's teams also won the Mid-South Conference tournament in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and 2016. Her teams have been to the tournament finals in nine of her 14 previous seasons.
 
The year 2015 was one for the books. Having sometimes five freshmen in the starting lineup, Wathen led her team to her sixth MSC regular season championship, the program's first-ever NAIA Opening Round championship, and also their first World Series appearance.
 
During Wathen's tenure, she has been named MSC Coach of the Year now eight times (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018). Five of her players have been named MSC Player of the Year, four others have been named MSC Pitcher of the Year a combined six times (including Neely Quint this season) and has coached two MSC Freshmen of the Year.
 
The Lady Tigers are scheduled to open the Mid-South Conference Tournament on Friday morning at 11 a.m. ET at Michael O. Buchanon Park. See the link above for the complete game and conference preview story.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Neely Quint

#7 Neely Quint

P
5' 6"
Senior
Brookport, Ill.

Players Mentioned

Neely Quint

#7 Neely Quint

5' 6"
Senior
Brookport, Ill.
P