Regent University Director of Athletics Michael W. Allen has announced that 2025 Easton/NFCA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year recipient Brianna (Bri) Cooper has been named the first head coach in Royals softball history. Cooper comes to Regent after serving as an Assistant Coach at Virginia Wesleyan University since 2022.
Assistant Coach at Virginia Wesleyan July 2022 - August 2025
Responsibilities - Pitchers, Infielders, and Scouting. As well as working with hitters.
Member of the 2024 & 2025 NFCA Region VI Coaching Staff of the Year and 2024 ODAC Coaching Staff of the Year. NFCA 2025 Division III Assistant Coach of the Year.
2025: Compiled a 49-5-1 record, captured the program’s 16th ODAC championship, and finished NCAADivision III National Runner-Up. Developed a deep pitching staff that produced Lauren Bible - 2025 NFCA
All-American, NFCA First Team All Region, All ODAC First Team. Also, including Hannah Hearl 2025 ODAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player & NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player; All-ODAC Second-Team. The program also produced Laci Campell, an NFCA Third Team All American.
2024: Compiled a 40-10 record, the program’s 15th ODAC Championship and finished 7th in the NCAA Tournament in 2024. Stand out pitcher Emma Adams was 2024 ODAC Pitcher of the Year and NFCA First Team All Region.
2023: Finished 39-13 earning an At Large bid to the NCAA Tournament finishing in
the top 16 teams.
Assistant Coach at Susquehanna July 2020 - July 2022
Responsibilities - Pitching, Scouting and working with hitters.
Captured the 2022 Landmark Conference regular-season (11-1) and tournament titles; advanced to NCAA Ashland Regional where the program won its first NCAA Tournament Game. Staff honored as 2022 NFCA Division III Regional Coaching Staff of the Year and 2022 Landmark Coaching Staff of the Year. Coached Katie Murphy — 2022 Landmark Pitcher of the Year, NFCA Second-Team All-American, NFCA First-Team All-Region; led NCAA D-III in strikeouts per 7 IP (12.9) & hits allowed per 7 IP (3.26); set program single-season (210 K) & single-game (18 K) strikeout records.
Education
Bachelors in Elementary Education from Alderson Broaddus University
Masters in Education from Alderson Broaddus University
Coach Cooper, who lives in Virginia Beach with her husband Keith, will begin September 1, 2025, and immediately start recruiting for Regent’s inaugural season in 2026-2027.
