LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eight programs, six of which reached the NCAA Division II National Championship, were selected by their peers as the 2025 ATEC/NFCA Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, the Association announced on Friday.
Representing each of the NFCA’s eight Division II regions, these respective coaching staffs – Shippensburg University (Atlantic), University of Central Oklahoma (Central), Pace University (East), Saginaw Valley State University (Midwest), Saint Leo University (South), University of Texas at Tyler (South Central), Francis Marion University (Southeast) and Western Washington University (West) - are now eligible for the NFCA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 5.
Shippensburg, UCO, Pace, Saginaw Valley, UT Tyler and Western Washington are currently competing for a DII National Championship at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Regional (respective region only) and National Coaching Staffs of the Year are voted on by member head coaches.
Regional Winners (Records prior to National Championship Tournament)
Atlantic – Shippensburg
Head Coach: Alison Van Scyoc
Assistant Coaches: Hannah Marsteller, Dina Beston
Volunteer Assistant: Emily Goshorn
Reached the NCAA DII National Championship Finals (No. 7 seed) for the first time since 2004 … Captured its first-ever Atlantic Super Regional sweeping the Atlantic Region’s No. 2 Kutztown on the road … Won the Atlantic Regional I, earning two victories over the hosts and No. 1 seed East Stroudsburg … 5-0 in the postseason heading into its matchup with No. 2 seed Tampa.
Central – Central Oklahoma
Head Coach: Cody White
Associate Head Coach: Jon Hunter
Assistant Coach: Jordan Dixon
Graduate Assistant: Jacee Minter
Guided the Bronchos to their second National Championship appearance in the last three seasons and the fourth time under White … UCO swept through Central Region I and bested Augustana in the winner-take-all game to advance to the national championship as the No. 3 overall seed … Posted 51 wins, tied for second-best total in program history … Ranked No. 4 in the final NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll of the regular season … White earned MIAA Coach of the Year honors … Swept the MIAA regular-season and tournament titles.
East – Pace
Head Coach: Claudia Stabile
Assistant Coaches: John Elliott, Brealand Edwards
Student Assistant: Carolina Iturriaga
Steered Pace to its first-ever NCAA DII National Championship finals and is the No. 6 overall seed … Swept through the East Regional 1 … Rallied from a game-one defeat to top Wilmington, the two-time East Region champion, in its first-ever Super Regional appearance … Earned its first national ranking in the NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll and entered the tournament as the 14th-ranked team … Smashed program records for wins (46) and winning streak (27), previous records were 33 and 11 … Perfect 20-0 record in NE-10 conference play … Stabile tabbed NE-10 Coach of the Year for the first time after a NE-10 regular-season and tournament championship sweep.
Midwest – Saginaw Valley State
Head Coach: Ryan Schalk
Assistant Coach: Steve Bohn
Volunteer Assistant: Sarah Gersch
Guided the Cardinals to their first DII National Championship finals appearance since 2011 as the No. 5 seed … Swept the Midwest Regional 1 and won the winner-take-all game against UIndy to secure the Midwest Region title … Won its fourth straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate tournament championship, third under Schalk … Second-most wins in program history with 48 and the first 40-win season since 2011 … Schalk named GLIAC Coach of the Year after first GLIAC regular-season title since 2008.
South – Saint Leo
Head Coach: Erin Kinberger
Assistant Coaches: Zack Carver, Lexi Carver, Pat Affrunti
Steered the Lions to a 40-14 season and the No. 2 seed in the South Region … Reached the 40-win mark for the fourth time in program history, second under Kinberger … Nationally ranked 13th in the final NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll of the regular season, highest ranking of the season … Named Sunshine Conference Coach of the Year after finishing second in the SSC regular season … Engineered a 16-game winning streak after an 8-8 start to the season.
South Central – UT Tyler
Head Coach: Mike Reed
Associate Head Coach: Whitney Wyly
Assistant Coaches: Dani Elder, Shannon Klaus, Anthony Springer
Fifth consecutive year earning this honor … Making fourth straight trip to the NCAA DII National Championship (No. 1 overall seed in 2025) … Swept South Central 1 Regional and rallied past No. 2 seed West Texas A&M to win the South Central Region title … Captured fifth straight Lone Star Conference regular-season crown (shared in 2025) … Won second Lone Star Conference tournament title … Ranked No.1 in the NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll entering the postseason … Third straight 50-plus win season, 177 wins the last three years.
Southeast – Francis Marion
Head Coach: Stacey Vallee
Assistant Coaches: Jessie Scroggins, Taylor Watford
Earned the Southeast Region’s No. 1 overall seed and reached the Super Regionals … Swept the Southeast Regional I with three shutout wins over Georgia Southwestern and Wingate (twice) … Fell to North Georgia in a winner-take-all Super Regional contest … Won a program-record 53 games (53-6), the most by any FMU Athletics program … Ranked second in the final NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll and was in the top four the final seven weeks of the regular season … Captured third straight Conference Carolinas Tournament crown in dramatic fashion, winning six straight elimination games after dropping the tourney opener … Vallee was honored as Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year.
West – Western Washington
Head Coach: Sheryl Gilmore
Assistant Coaches: Shearyna Labasan, Leah Francis
Graduate Assistant: Hanako Hirai
Student Assistant: Ashley Jacobson
Staff earned second straight honor … As the No. 4 seed, the Vikings won both the West Regional 1 and the West Super Regional on the road to earn their second straight West Region crown and trip to the NCAA DII National Championship finals … For the second straight season, rallied from a game-one loss to Cal State San Marcos to win the West Super Regional … Swept West Region I, which included two wins over the West’s No. 1 seed Cal State East Bay … Collected the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season and tournament crowns … Gilmore was selected GNAC Coach of the Year.
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