BRIDGEWATER, Va. --- For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, Bridgewater College will have a new head softball coach. Following a nationwide search, Bridgewater College Director of Athletics Curt Kendall has announced the hiring of Kim McCall as the Eagles' new head softball coach.
"It was important for us in the hiring process to hire a coach who was familiar with Bridgewater softball, but also someone who is familiar with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and the region, and Kim is all of that and more," said Kendall. "Kim was a fantastic player at Methodist and was a vital component in the success in recent years at Lynchburg and we're excited to have Kim take over a program that has been successful at a high level over the years."
McCall takes the reins from longtime head coach Donnie Fulk, who announced in September that he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 season after 23 years at the helm of the program. A former player at Methodist College, McCall comes to Bridgewater following a stint as an assistant softball coach at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. During her time with the Tritons, McCall assisted with recruiting, opponent scouting and the organization of practices.
Prior to her time at Missouri-St. Louis, McCall served as the head coach at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, where she turned the program into a winning team. McCall also served as the assistant department chair in the physical education department at St. Louis Community College-Meramec. During her time with the Archers, McCall helped lead the squad to a second-place finish in the region and placed two players on the all-region squad.
"I'm exceptionally excited about the opportunity to coach at Bridgewater College," said McCall. "I'm quite familiar with the ODAC and how competitive the conference is, and that will bring out the best in me as a coach. It's truly exciting to be a part of a program as successful as Bridgewater's program has been."
Before taking over at SLCC-Meramec, McCall was an assistant to Dawn Simmons at ODAC rival Lynchburg College. McCall served as the graduate assistant softball coach from 2006-2008. As an assistant, McCall helped with all aspects of the program including recruiting, conditioning, offense and defense, and scouting. She was able to work with a program that garnered two ODAC tournament championships, two NCAA Division III Regional Appearances, one NCAA Division III Regional Tournament Championship, and one NCAA Division III College World Series appearance.
During her college career, Coach McCall received All-Conference honors, All-Tournament team honors, All-Region honors, Offensive Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. This past season, McCall was named to the USA South's 50th Anniversary softball team, which recognized the top softball players in conference history.
"I would like to thank Executive Vice President Roy Ferguson, Director of Athletics Curt Kendall, Associate Director of Athletics Jean Willi and the rest of the search committee for the opportunity to become a part of the Bridgewater family. I look forward to meeting the team, getting to know each student-athlete and continuing the tradition of Bridgewater College softball," commented McCall.
McCall received her master's in Curriculum and Instruction in 2008 from Lynchburg College and earned her bachelor's in athletic training from Methodist in 2005.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT McCall:
DAWN SIMMONS, HEAD SOFTBALL COACH AT LYNCHBURG COLLEGE - I'm thrilled to see Bridgewater College hire a coach in the caliber of Kim McCall. Her passion is evident in her resume and it took her from Methodist, to Lynchburg and then to Missouri and now back to Bridgewater and that same passion will be a tremendous asset to Bridgewater. I look forward to the challenge that Kim will present as the new head coach at Bridgewater College.
DONNIE FULK, FORMER HEAD SOFTBALL COACH AT BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE- Kim McCall is a true competitor who has a great knowledge of the game. Along with her competitiveness and knowledge, Kim also brings a great enthusiasm, and I believe she will be an outstanding coach at Bridgewater College.
TONY DATTOLI, HEAD BASEBALL COACH AT ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE-MERAMEC - "Bridgewater College made a great hire in Kim McCall. First and foremost she's a good person. Kim is student oriented, she will not only be a great coach, but she will definitely play an integral role in shaping the character of her players as well."
RON SIMPSON, HEAD COACH AT METHODIST UNIVERSITY – "Bridgewater made a great choice in hiring Kim McCall. Kim has a great softball background. She was a great hitter and shortstop at Methodist and that got her started at the collegiate level. She will continue that at Bridgewater College and she will do great things with the softball program at Bridgewater. She's familiar with Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina and will be a solid recruiter for the program."
--- This release is courtesy of the Bridgewater College sports information department. ---
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