WEST HARTFORD – University of Hartford Director of Athletics Mary Ellen Gillespie has announced the hiring of Angie Churchill as the department's new Head Softball Coach. Churchill comes to Hartford from Wagner, where she has led the Seahawks to back-to-back 20-win seasons. She will officially join Hawk Nation on Aug. 14.
 
"We're thrilled to welcome Angie to the Hawks family," Gillespie said. "She will be a tremendous asset in elevating our softball program on the field as well as mentoring and developing the young women who are a part of it. We're excited to see softball soar to new heights under her leadership!"
 
In addition to two years at Wagner, Churchill has served as head coach at Division II Georgian Court University and Division III D'Youville College. A former captain for the University of Michigan as a player, Churchill also spent time as an assistant at the Division I level for the University at Buffalo and Ohio University.
 
"I want to first thank Mary Ellen Gillespie and Amanda Devitt along with the entire search committee for this great opportunity," Churchill said. "I'm honored and humbled to be a part of Hawk Nation and lead this softball program. The vision here at Hartford is one that sets student-athletes up to succeed not only on the field, but off the field as well. I'm excited to be a part of the America East Conference, which has such a rich tradition. 
 
"I want our student-athletes to believe they can be the best in everything that they do at the University of Hartford and after they graduate," she added. "There is so much to look forward to here at Hartford and you will be able to see that through our passion on the field."
 
In her two years with Wagner, the squad won 42 games after just nine victories the season before her arrival. In her final campaign, the Seahawks advanced to the Northeast Conference Championship game before falling to top-seeded St. Francis University.
 
The Seahawks went 10-6 in league play in 2017, tying for second place in the NEC, with four players taking home All-NEC honors and two garnering National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors. The squad also picked up three NEC All-Tournament selections in addition to the 2017 NEC Student-Athlete of the Year Brianna Tredway.
 
In her first season at Georgian Court, the Lions advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2010, compiling a record of 33-24 and a second-place finish in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CAAC). In her two years, she mentored five All-Conference performers, including the 2015 CAAC Player of the Year.
 
Prior to her two-year tenure at Georgian Court, the Mokena, Ill., native spent three seasons as the head coach at D'Youville, guiding the Spartans to a 56-41 record. Taking over a team that posted an 8-27 record the year prior to her arrival, Churchill completely transformed the program. In 2011, her first season at the helm, she led D'Youville to a 21-10 record, leading the Spartans to the first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) championship and NCAA Regional berth in program history.
 
Before embarking on her head coaching career, Churchill spent six seasons as a Division I assistant, spending the 2005 campaign at Ohio before moving on to a five-year tenure with Buffalo, where she served three seasons as recruiting coordinator. In 2009, the Bulls won 25 games, which at the time tied for the most single-season wins in UB's Division I softball era.
 
Churchill was a four-year member of the University of Michigan softball team where she helped lead the Wolverines to a 191-57-1 record. A stellar defensive player for Michigan, Churchill was also a versatile performer who finished her career with a .957 fielding percentage. She saw playing time at all eight field positions, the bulk of which came at third base. A 2004 graduate, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management and Communication.
 
Prior to attending Michigan, Churchill was an All-Illinois selection in 2000 at Lincoln-Way High School after leading her team to the Illinois High School Association Sectional championship in 1999. In addition to being a softball standout, Churchill also competed on her high school's basketball and tennis teams.