WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein University has hired Brooke Donovan as its next head softball coach, announced Friday morning by Dawn Stewart, director of athletics.

Donovan, 26, arrives to Otterbein after spending one year as an assistant coach and camp director for Ohio University in Athens. Her appointment comes following the recent departure of Christine Steines, who compiled a 190-142-2 mark across nine seasons at the helm before announcing her resignation earlier this summer.

"I would like to thank Dawn Stewart, Connie Richardson and the entire search committee for the chance to lead this softball program," Donovan said. "I'm excited to work with these young female student-athletes, along with everyone else in the department and around campus, to continue bringing Otterbein near the forefront of Division III softball."

"I'm thankful for my time at Ohio University, under the leadership of Jodi Hermanek, and how it prepared me as a young coach," Donovan added. "My time as a member of that staff has been nothing short of amazing and provided me with a lot of tools for this next step in my career. It was a whirlwind of recent success and I want to bring that same excitement to Otterbein."

 

The Bobcats posted a 40-17 record during Donovan's lone season, winning the MAC Championship before advancing to the regional final of the 2018 NCAA Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. Ohio was selected as the NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year.

"I am excited to welcome Brooke into our Otterbein Athletics family," Stewart said. "She brings a variety of experiences with her, all of which have focused on bettering each situation and individual she comes into contact with. I think she really understands the importance of student-athlete development, on and off the field, and will continue building on the momentum of our program."
 
Prior to her stint at Ohio, Donovan served two seasons as the lead/graduate assistant coach for Division III Wesley College in Dover, Delaware. The Wolverines went 21-17 in her second year, a nine-win improvement from the year prior, and the program had seven players claim NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete awards.
 
Donovan advanced through initial rounds of interviews during Otterbein's coaching search before coming on campus as one of three finalists.

"Meeting with a handful of players during my interview made me instantly want to meet all of them," Donovan said eagerly. "I can't wait to reach out to everyone individually in the coming days and start building connections. I'm inheriting some really special women that have high hopes on the field and even bigger aspirations outside of softball. A coach can't ask for much more than to take those qualities and run with it."

Donovan enjoyed a nice playing career at Division I Coastal Carolina University, competing as a four-year starter (2011-14) in the outfield and guiding her squad to the 2012 Big South Tournament title, where she was subsequently named to the All-Tournament Team. She was a 3x Big South Player of the Week and graduated as Coastal Carolina's all-time leader for most games played (233).

A member of both the NFCA and ABCA, Donovan holds a variety of experience with instructing camps/clinics and has gained professional development exposure at recent conventions in New Orleans (2016) and Indianapolis (2017).

Otterbein has gone a combined 96-25-2 over the past three seasons, winning three-straight Ohio Athletic Conference regular-season championships and making the first NCAA appearance (2017) in program history.

"I want people to feel like I picked up the program in a good spot and helped build on the recent success," Donovan said. "I want supporters to feel confident that we elevate ourselves each day, that we come to the field with our best stuff each day, and that we end up winning more times than not. I want to provide these women the same dream I experienced of playing college softball and developing as a person. I'm ready to start making memories."

A native of Bear, Delaware, Donovan holds a bachelor's degree in sport management and a master's degree in sport leadership, with a concentration on coaching. She is scheduled to begin her new position August 1.
 
All inquiries for media requests can be directed to Sports Information Director Adam Prescott at 614-823-1951 or APrescott@Otterbein.edu.