Averett University announced the hiring of Carol Oberhelman as its new softball head coach on Monday.
Oberhelman comes to Averett after two seasons as an assistant coach at Muskingum University following a four-year playing career at the University of Lynchburg. In her two seasons coaching at Muskingum, the program went 60-26 with a 40-13 mark in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings.
"We are excited to welcome Carol Oberhelman to the Averett family," said Meg Stevens, vice president, director of athletics and campus operations. "She is a great fit for our program. Her playing and coaching experiences at two strong programs have given her insight on what it takes to be a championship-level program while providing a successful and positive student-athlete atmosphere for players on the field, in the classroom and in the community."
Oberhelman takes the helm of a successful Averett softball program that joins the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in 2022-23. During the Cougars' time in the USA South Athletic Conference, the program collected four conference titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances — with two conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances since 2015 and six All-America selections since 2014. The program also knocked off No. 1 Christopher Newport University this spring, which stands the Captains' lone loss of the season so far entering this week's College World Series.
"I am very excited for this opportunity and for the future of Averett University softball," Oberhelman said. "I would like to thank Meg Stevens, Deputy Director of Athletics Danny Miller and the Averett Department of Athletics members who were a part of the hiring process. I would also like to thank everyone that helped me get to this point in my career."
Prior to beginning her coaching career at Muskingum, Oberhelman played four seasons from 2017-20 at Lynchburg in the ODAC. She appeared in 107 games and was the team's starting left fielder for the Hornets. She was a member of Lynchburg's 2018 and 2019 NCAA Regional teams, including the 2019 NCAA Super Regional appearance. Oberhelman also earned Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete accolades in 2019.
"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Oberhelman to our community," Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks said. "Her knowledge of the ODAC will be an asset as our program transitions to its new conference next season and our student-athletes will thrive under her guidance."
A native of Washington Township, New Jersey, Oberhelman earned her Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from Lynchburg in 2020. She is currently completing her master's in Adult Education from Muskingum.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up