Division III Coach of the Year

MALLORY MATTHEWS, EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

• Matthews is making her fourth season coaching her alma mater a memorable one, earning her first Division III national coach of the year honor.
• That is just one of a number of firsts this season for her team, which earned East Texas Baptist its first No. 1 ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll on Nov. 11.
• Her Tigers went through the season unbeaten—a program first—and they enter the NCAA Championship quarterfinals with a 34-0 record.
• Those 34 straight victories represent the longest winning streak in Tiger history.
• The appearance in the quarterfinals comes after Matthews led the team to the school’s first-ever NCAA regional championship.
• A record four players from her 2025 squad earned AVCA All-America honors: first-team selection Graycee Mosley and honorable mention honorees Lexi Moody, Anita Hancock, and Lara Hornsby.

 

Division III Assistant Coach of the Year

MATT VERLINGHIERI, ROWAN UNIVERSITY

• Verlinghieri helped the Profs to a 25-6 record in his fourth season as an assistant with Rowan.
• He is part of the Profs staff that earned the 2025 NJAC Coaching Staff of the Year award.
• He took on a larger role this season, filling in for head coach Deana Jespersen who was battling cancer before she passed away on Nov. 2.
• The Profs finished the regular season with a 7-1 conference record and was the No. 2 seed in the NJAC Championship.
• Verlinghieri nurtured 2025 AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans Abby Chadwick and Jessica Smart.

 

NCAA DIVISION III COACHES OF THE YEAR

1982: Jim Paschal, University of La Verne
1983: Karyn Altman, MIT
1984: Larry Bock, Juniata College
1985: Susan Roberts, Grove City College
1986: Karla Walters, Calvin College
1987: Sheila Wallace, Ohio Northern University
1988: Kris Russell, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
1989: Larry Bock, Juniata College
1990: Marsha Graef, Bates College
1991: Teri Clemens, Washington University (St. Louis)
1992: Dave Orren, University of St. Thomas
1993: Larry Bock, Juniata College
1994: Teri Clemens, Washington University (St. Louis)
1995: Kris Russell, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
1996: Teri Clemens, Washington University (St. Louis)
1997: Duncan McFarland, University of California San Diego
1998: Megan Clayberg, Central College
1999: Julie Jenkins, Trinity University
2000: Kris Russell, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
2001: Don Flora, University of La Verne
2002: Kris Russell, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
2003: Rich Luenemann, Washington University (St. Louis)
2004: Larry Bock, Juniata College
2005: Stacy Boudreau, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
2006: Larry Bock, Juniata College
2007: Rich Luenemann, Washington University (St. Louis)
2008: Jenny McDowell, Emory University
2009: Rich Luenemann, Washington University (St. Louis)
2010: Amber Warners, Calvin College
2011: Paco Labrador, Wittenberg
2012: Amber Warners, Calvin College
2013: Amber Warners, Calvin College
2014: Amber Warners, Calvin College
2015: Ryan Meek, Hendrix College
2016: Beth Wilmeth, University of Northwestern-St. Paul
2017: Nancy Somera, Johnson & Wales University
2018: Kim Wudi, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
2019: Jenny McDowell, Emory University
2021: Kurt Vlasich, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2022: Julie Jenkins, Trinity University (Texas)
2023: Jon Ellmann, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
2024: Heather Pavlik, Juniata College
2025: Mallory Matthews, East Texas Baptist University

AVCA NCAA DIVISION III ASSISTANT COACHES OF THE YEAR

2009: Brian Hofman, Ohio Northern University
2010: Charles Rodman, Washington University (St. Louis)
2011: Laura Bindon, Calvin College
2012: Melissa Stansbury, Salisbury University
2013: Zach Villarreal, University of Texas-Dallas
2014: Morgan Coberly, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2015: Kevin Judd, California Lutheran University
2016: Kelly Bonja, Tufts University
2017: Jenn Feldmann, Johns Hopkins University
2018: Casey Dale, Juniata College
2019: Greg Kimmel, Susquehanna University
2021: Jodi Risen, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
2022: Melanie Hughes, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2023: Casey Dale, Juniata College
2024: Carrie Lehocky, Hope College
2025: Matt Verlinghieri, Rowan University