VWC Names Last Season's Mentor Full-Time Head Coach

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. --- A change has been made to the coaching title at Virginia Wesleyan College for Brandon Elliott.

Drop the term "interim" that has preceded the "head softball coach" title he has owned for the last couple of months after stepping in to guide the Marlins' softball program. 

VWC Athletics Director Sonny Travis has hired Elliott as the seventh head mentor of the women's program that is one of the most successful at the College.  Marlin softball teams have put together 23 winning seasons in the 26-year history of the program, including 20 with 20 or more wins and five with 30-plus, highlighted by a 39-6 record in 1986.  VWC has averaged nearly 24 victories per season, one of the top averages nationally.

"Brandon took over for us in the spring and he did a very good job," said Travis.  He has good ideas about the direction the program.  Having worked work as an assistant coach in our athletic program, Brandon knows this ins and outs of the College.  With his personality and energy level we will move forward."

Elliott, a native of Virginia Beach (Ocean Lakes), has been an assistant coach for the VWC baseball program since 2003, directing the outfielders and base running.  He was a four-year baseball letterman for VWC, helping the Marlins to a 115-56 overall record, highlighted by a 34-9 finish in 2003, the best in program history.  VWC placed first in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's regular-season standings in three of Elliott's four seasons and won the league's tournament title, and the automatic berth in the national tournament, twice.

A team captain and outfielder for the Marlins, Elliott produced a .340 career batting average, helped by a standout senior season in 2003 when he connected for 55 hits en route to a .331 showing at the plate.  He also led the Marlins with 25 stolen bases in 29 attempts that season, the ninth highest single-season total in program history.  Speed on the bases led to 42 runs scored by Elliott, the eighth highest season total in program history.

Elliott's baseball success was complemented by his academic success, which included Verizon/College Sports Information Directors of America honors as an Academic All-District honoree in 2003.  A Dean's List honoree in seven of eight semesters at VWC, he graduated in the spring of 2003 with a 3.40 grade point average and a bachelor's degree in Communications, specializing in journalism and media studies.

Following graduation, Elliott continued his education at Old Dominion University where he completed studies in foundations and legal aspects in general and special education.  Since 2005 he has worked as a special education teacher for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools at Ocean Lakes Elementary and most recently at Christopher Farms Elementary. 

Prior to his work in the public school system, Elliott was an admissions counselor for two years at Virginia Wesleyan.  He has also interned in the public relations department of Hamm & Fox Communications, Inc., and in the Armed Forces Emergency Services department of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Red Cross.

For the past five years Elliott has also been the head coach of the Virginia Wildcats baseball team.  The team has qualified for the national tournament every year and placed sixth at the 2006 National AAU championships.  The Wildcats recently won the 2007 Virginia 14-U AAU championship.

This release is courtesy of the Virginia Wesleyan College sports information department.