BRIDGEWATER, Va. (BC Athletics) – Bridgewater College Director of Athletics Curt Kendall has announced the promotion of Delaney Nuckols to head softball coach.
Nuckols has served as an assistant coach for the Eagles the past two seasons and becomes the seventh head coach in program history. During her tenure, she primarily worked with the team’s hitters and outfielders as Bridgewater posted back-to-back 29-win seasons and advanced to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship series for the first time since 2012.
“We are excited to announce Delaney as our next head softball coach,” Kendall said. “Her passion and knowledge of the game, along with her deep roots in team culture and recruiting, will help us maintain and build upon the success of our softball program.”
A native of Rockville, Virginia, Nuckols earned her bachelor’s degree from Randolph College in 2022 before completing her master’s degree in coaching and sport leadership in 2023 at the Lynchburg, Va. institution. During her playing career with the WildCats, she served as a team captain for two seasons and earned first-team All-ODAC honors at shortstop in both 2022 and 2023. Following her career at Randolph, Nuckols spent one season at Christopher Newport, helping the Captains advance to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2024.
“I would like to thank Director of Athletics Curt Kendall and the search committee for this opportunity,” said Nuckols. “This program has a strong foundation built through years of hard work and dedication, and I look forward to building upon that while continuing to elevate our standards on and off the field”
In two seasons as an assistant coach, Nuckols helped elevate the Eagles’ offense and aggressiveness on the base paths. Bridgewater improved its team batting average by 40 points during her tenure as hitting coach while recording the second- and third-highest single-season stolen base totals in program history. Five of the program’s top 10 career stolen base leaders competed during her time on the coaching staff. In 2026, the Eagles also produced their first All-American in 16 years as Caroline Malandra earned national recognition.
Nuckols will take over the program immediately, with the search for a new assistant coach beginning soon.
— BC Athletics —
