Wolverine Coaching Staff Named Best in Great Lakes Region
6/10/2024 3:00:00 PM | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Michigan softball coaching staff has been named the Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Monday (June 10). The staff led the Maize and Blue to a 43-18 overall record, a Big Ten Conference Tournament crown and a return to the NCAA Tournament -- the program's 30th overall NCAA appearance.
Michigan's 2024 coaching staff consisted of head coach Bonnie Tholl, associate head coach Jennifer Brundage and assistant coaches Amanda Chidester and Faith Canfield. It marks the 16th time the Michigan coaching staff has earned the NFCA Great Lakes Regional Coaching Staff of the Year distinction. The core contingent of former head coach Carol Hutchins, Tholl and Brundage earned the honor 14 times over a 23-year period from 1999-2021. U-M also washonored with Speedline/NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year accolades in 2005.
The Wolverines posted their first 40-win since 2019 and similarly captured their first Big Ten Tournament title since sweeping the regular season and tournament crowns in 2019.
U-M earned a remarkable second-half turnaround this season. After starting 10-9 through March 1, the Wolverines won 33 of their final 42 games, including an 18-5 conference record to finish second in the Big Ten regular-season standings, with a .297 team batting average and .506 slugging percentage over the stretch. Michigan posted 63 total home runs on the season -- the program's most since 2016.
Tholl completed her second season at the helm of the program and 31st overall year on the Michigan coaching staff. She owns a 69-43 record (.616) over the last two seasons, boasting a 17-win improvement from the first year to her second. She helped guide her players to seven all-region and eight All-Big Ten accolades, including a conference-best four first-teamers this season in junior right-handed pitcher Lauren Derkowski, sophomore third baseman Maddie Erickson, junior outfielder Ellie Sieler and senior first baseman Keke Tholl.
Brundage, who was elevated to associate head coach last summer, completed her 26th overall season as one of the nation's top pitching coaches. Brundage oversaw a pitching staff that posted a 2.69 earned-run average and 6.5 strikeouts-per-game average. Derkowski earned NFCA All-Region and All-Big Ten first team honors and was named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, while graduate student Hannah George posted a 7-1 record with a 1.75 ERA over her final 10 appearances late in the season -- after throwing just 24.2 innings for Michigan over the previous year and a half.
Chidester is in her second season on staff, while Canfield just completed her third -- and first as a full-time assistant coach -- and together the duo oversees the Wolverines' hitting. Michigan posted a .274 team batting average, including a .313 average in conference play, and boasted a .454 slugging percentage -- a 76-point improvement from the previous year -- and a .363 on-base percentage. Of note, Erickson and Sieler both improved their batting averages by 50 points or more en route to All-Big Ten and All-Region first team honors.
• NFCA Release
