Kendall Fuller To Lead Winthrop Softball
Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop athletic director Chuck Rey announced on Tuesday that Kendall Fuller has been named the new head softball coach.
Fuller returns to the Winthrop softball program after serving as head coach at Lees-McRae the last three seasons. This marks the second stint with the Eagle program as she spent five seasons on staff from 2013-18.
“I couldn’t be more excited to get back to work with my Winthrop family,” said Fuller. “Thank you to Chuck Rey for entrusting me to lead such a tradition rich program. I, nor this program, would be where it is today without legendary coach Mark Cooke. I know he’ll be watching over us as I honor his legacy by bringing back the core values that Winthrop Softball was built upon. I look forward to re-engaging longtime supporters, friends of the program and reconnecting with alumni to support our student-athletes. I’m ready to get started with the current team as we work to build a program that chases excellence in the classroom, in the Rock Hill Community and on the (Terry) Field!”
Fuller came to Winthrop in 2013 and served on the staff until her departure after the 2018 season. In 2018-19 she was an assistant coach for Western Carolina before becoming the head coach at Lees-McCrae in the fall of 2020. She served as co-head coach alongside the late Mark Cooke from 2015-17 before her move to Western Carolina. During her time with the Bobcats she increased the team’s win today by five or more wins and in 2023 set a program record with 32 victories (32-18). Fuller was named the 2023 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year.
“Extremely excited to have Kendall back in the garnet and gold!” said Athletic Director Chuck Rey. “Kendall found great success as head coach at her last institution. That program thrived, she grew tremendously as a coach and was recognized with a Coach of the Year honor. More importantly, Kendall knows what it takes to win at Winthrop. She learned under one of the best in Mark Cooke, she is part of the Winthrop family, and the transition will not only be seamless, but catapult this program to the next level that much sooner.”
In her three seasons at the helm of the Bobcats program her teams improved each season, improving by seven or more wins each time. In 2023 the Bobcats earned a program record 32 wins on their way to a runner-up finish in the regular season (best regular season finish in program history). In addition to the team’s on field success, Fuller’s teams earned Top 10 Award for Easton/NFCA Top Academic Teams with a GPA of 3.73 (6th among NCAA DII institutions).
In addition to her NCAA Division I coaching experience, Fuller has served as the Softball Sports Director for the College Coaches Skills Camp in Sylva, N.C. and as an adjunct lecturer in the Biology department at Western Carolina University.
