COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus College assistant Brooke Kalman has been tabbed as the new head softball coach at Ripon College (Wis.) after a nationwide search. Kalman, a head coach for the first time, is just the Red Hawks' third manager in the past two decades.
Kalman spent the last two years with the Bears, for whom she was responsible for scheduling, practice planning, workouts, game day management, recruiting, and fundraising, among other duties. Under head coach Samantha Campo, Kalman helped guide Ursinus to a 17-19 overall record and a 7-9 mark in Centennial Conference play in 2016, the Bears' best season in three years.
A 2014 graduate of Gettysburg College, Kalman was a four-year letter winner and two-time captain for the Bullets' softball team. A second team All-CC honoree as after her senior year, she was selected to the All-CC Sportsmanship Team in 2014 and to the All-Academic Team the previous season. Kalman ranks fourth all-time in runners caught stealing and 12th in fielding percentage at Gettysburg, also spending time at second base, shortstop, designated player, and right field.
After graduating from Gettysburg, Kalman earned her master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Villanova University this year. While at Villanova, she was awarded the Beverly B. Kahn Memorial Scholarship, given to the person who demonstrates a passion for assisting with the growth of underprivileged students.
Kalman inherits a program that went just 4-31-1 in 2016, but one that is only five years removed from a 27-10 campaign highlighted by three victories at the NCAA Regional Tournament.
Kalman's coaching aspirations were stoked when, as a senior, she attended the Snell-Shillingford Coaches Symposium hosted by Ursinus.
"Since I was a sophomore in high school my dream was to become a head softball coach at the collegiate level," Kalman said. "Ursinus has been an amazing place to start my coaching career, and to grow not only as a softball coach but also as a person. Coach Campo has always assisted me along the way, and has now helped with making my head coaching dreams a reality. I never thought that the woman I often feared as a coach would grow to be one of my closest friends. Without her, none of this would be possible.
"I am sad to see my time in the Centennial Conference come to an end, but I am confident that my experience as a CC student-athlete and coach has prepared me for what is ahead."