WV Heartland News

BETHANY, W.Va. – Bethany College Director of Athletics Brian Sansom has announced the hiring of Brian Daley to lead the Bison softball program.

Daley is coming to Bethany after a four-year stint at Edward Waters University. Coming off of a historic campaign in 2022, Daley led the Lady Tigers to a 32-11 overall record, the second-best record in the modern era of the program. The team was named 2022 NAIA Division HBCU Softball National Champions by the Black College Sports Network.

“From the first moment I stepped on campus, Bethany College felt like home to me,” said Daley. “The rich tradition of Bethany College, its commitment to academic excellence and innovation, along with a holistic and compassionate approach to education, create an exceptional environment to both coach and recruit to.  I look forward to continuing to build the softball program to national prominence with elite student-athletes of the highest character and academic dedication,” Daley explained.

“I am pleased to welcome Brian to the Bison family,” said Sansom. “He brings a solid winning culture that will certainly help our program continue to grow and improve on our recent success.”

“I want to thank President Jamie Caridi, Jill Wilson, and AD Brian Sansom for the opportunity to lead the Bison Softball Program,” added Daley. ”I am humbled, honored, and super excited to lead these student athletes.”

In his return to the program in 2021, Daley led Edward Waters to a 19-11 record and came to within one game of leading the Lady Tigers to their third appearance at the NAIA National Softball Tournament. Under Daley’s leadership in 2021, freshman pitcher Milani Sablan became the first Lady Tiger in the modern era to record a perfect game,and became the first player to record 100+ strikeouts in a season. Sablan and Ivey Moreland received All-Conference honors, as well as HBCU Softball All-American nods.

Daley went back to Edward Waters last season after a brief stint as the head coach at Penn State-Greater Allegheny in 2019.

In Daley’s first stint as head coach, the Beloit, Ohio, native led the Lady Tigers to an 18-22 mark and was one game shy of qualifying for the NAIA Opening Round for what would have been the second consecutive season.

As an assistant in 2017 under former Head Coach and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Stanley Cromartie, Daley helped guide the Lady Tigers to 27 wins. The Lady Tigers finished as a runner-up in the Association of Independent Institutions Softball Championships, and the program’s first-ever appearance in the NAIA Softball Opening Round. Under his guidance, the Edward Waters Softball team raised its team batting average by over 90 points from the 2015 season.

Prior to his first tour at Edward Waters, Daley was the varsity head softball coach at Nathan B. Forrest/Westside High School from 2013 to 2015, where he led the Lady Rebels/Lady Wolverines to 36 wins.

In addition to coaching at the high school level, Daley has coached with Jacksonville Storm and Pittsburgh Spirit fast pitch organizations. Daley is also a member of the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association.

Away from the diamond, Daley is a retired detective from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and as Non-Commissioned Officer from United States Army Reserves. He holds a master’s degree in leadership from Mountain State University and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Point Park University. Daley is currently working on a second master’s degree from Texas Women’s College in kinesiology with a focus in coaching.

Original source can be found here.