Please consider downloading the latest version of Internet Explorer
to experience this site as intended.
Skip to content

In Review: Sports

National Accolade
Softball Assistant Coach Scores Major HonorMary Karen Wheat earns recognition as assistant coach of the year.By Dennis O’Donnell
University of Rochester softball coach of the yearSOFTBALL CELEBRATION: In her second season on the Rochester coaching staff, Wheat was named the national assistant coach of the year for her part in leading the Yellowjacket softball team to one of the best seasons in the program’s history.

After helping lead the Rochester softball team to its second appearance in the NCAA championship series this year in just her second year on the staff, assistant coach Marry Karen Wheat has earned national recognition.

Wheat, who joined the program in 2020, has been named the NFCA/Easton NCAA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association. She will be honored at the organization’s national convention.

Rochester reached the NCAA championship round in Salem, Virginia, in May, the second time the Yellowjackets have advanced that far. The team finished with a record of 35–10 and set a number of single-season offensive records.

Rochester won the Liberty League regular season title (22–3), then won the league’s postseason tournament to secure an automatic bid to the playoffs.

The Yellowjackets were seeded third in a six-team regional and were unblemished in the regional.

In addition to her work with recruiting (12 players plus a Division I transfer), Wheat supports all on-field training.

Away from the field, Wheat handles the team’s social media accounts, which played a major role in recruiting, and alumni and fan engagement.

Rochester’s staff of Margaret Yerdon-Grange, Wheat, and assistant coach Brittany Grange ’15, was named the NFCA Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year as well as the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year.

Before joining Rochester’s program, Wheat was an assistant coach at RIT for four years. She pitched at Binghamton University (1998–2003) for two years at the Division II level and two years at the Division I level. She accumulated a career 1.81 ERA for 416 innings.

She earned a BA in human development from Binghamton. She has a BS in history and is certified in adolescent education from SUNY Brockport.