“All along the way, you grow every year as a coach. Longwood gave me a chance to develop a program and go through a learning curve that I needed as a person as well."

 

To Kathy Riley, sports have always been a part of her life. When she was a kid she played every sport ranging from basketball to softball all the way to football and soccer. While growing up in Dayton, Oh., she used to stand outside of her house when she was four and through baseball's to show off her arm - coincidentally she started playing softball at age four as well. 

 

“Sports have always been a part of my life. I was pretty competitive but always a little bit more to myself."

 

In high school she ran track and played basketball, which eventually became her main sport. 

 

"We played every sport when I was growing up and always played with the boys... basketball, football. My two primary sports in high school were track and basketball, but my love was basketball."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Riley's love for basketball became so great, she took her skills to the collegiate level and played college basketball and softball at East Carolina University (ECU) in 1981 after a transfer from Middle Tennessee State in 1979. In 1981, Riley received the Broderick Cup National Softball Player of the Year at East Carolina University, leading ECU to a No. 1 national ranking and also nailed herself first-team All-America honors. At ECU, she earned a degree in physical education and later earned a master's degree in  physical education: psychology/sociology from North Texas State University in 1982.

 

Soon after finishing her undergraduate career at ECU, Riley became an assistant basketball and softball coach before serving as head coach at Mount Olive from 1993 until 1997. She has also coach volleyball as well as an AAU women's basketball team that she led to two National AAU Championships. 

 

“I always knew I wanted to be a coach. I don’t really think that was ever a question. I coached my first year out of college and then I went back and got my master’s degree, so I didn't coach again for about 12 years because I was playing softball in Texas. I always wanted to be around athletics and always enjoyed the aspect that you get to mold and make things better. That is really my biggest gratitude in coaching, is being able to do that part.”

 

After years of playing, coaching and schooling, a recommendation to the athletic director at the time by a former Longwood coach, eventually steered her towards the Division I university in Farmville, Va. 

 

Now, after 19 seasons at Longwood as the head women's softball coach, Riley has never posted a record below .500, has won two Big South Championships within the three years the university has been in the conference and received Big South Coach of the Year honors in 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But one thing that Riley loves more than winning, is seeing her players go through the program and develop as players and people. Since joining the Big South Conference in 2012, she has coached two NFCA All-Americans, Megan Baltzell and Brooke Short, and has had four players from her team named NFCA All-Southeast Region team players. She has also witnessed Short (2013) and Baltzell (2015) each win the title of Big South Female Athlete of the Year.

 

“What makes me the most proud is how many kids come here and stay throughout their whole career and then get out and go out into the really world and seem to function well. It is our job to teach our players success. If you can be happy in life that is the most important thing in life.”

 

 

N: What are some things you think have made you successful?

Well it takes hard work and good people around you that bring other skills to the table. I have been fortunate to be around great people and I have a good attention to detail. You have to be attentive. 

 

N: What advice would you give to little girls or women who want to establish credibility and find success in any field they want?

It is a great field to be in. It is a service position and because of the variety and changes you have every day it is an exciting place to be. I would encourage anybody who wants to be a college coach to jump right tin there! The time demands are difficult to juggle because you can’t work nine to five and be a college coach, so it is challenging so you have to be aware when dealing with other things to take more time. We get so involved in doing our own things, so you have to sit back. It is easy to put yourself in that cocoon. 

 

"One of the things you learn from softball is to have great ‘self-talk.’"