Michelle DePolo begins her third season as Army's head coach and fifth as a member of the coaching staff.
DePolo breathed new life into Army's program in her first year at the helm, leading the Black Knights to a school-record 33 wins at the Division I level, along with tying the Academy's overall mark.
Her success on the diamond earned her Patriot League "Coach of the Year" honors after leading Army (picked fifth preseason) to the regular-season title and tournament host. The young Army coach guided her team to its third regular-season Patriot League title and first since 1992, along with tying the school mark for conference victories (15). Nationally, the Black Knights ranked No. 25 in doubles per game and 58th in batting average.
DePolo brought Army into the forefront of the league after being picked next to last in the preseason poll following her promotion to head coach on April 1, 2009, by former athletic director Kevin Anderson. The eighth head coach in Army softball history, DePolo assumed her new role in July when she took over the program from 19-year head coach Jim Flowers, who retired at the conclusion of the 2009 season. DePolo is the program's first female head coach at Division I and third overall.
In her second season at the helm, DePolo led her team to 28 wins, seventh highest in school history, along with qualifying for the league tournament for the second straight year. Three of her players combined to set five single-season records.
Seven of her players have earned Patriot League all-star honors with four garnering first-team accolades. She has had two players each of the past two years named to the league's all-tournament team. Army ranked first in pitching and fielding under DePolo in 2010 and listed second in the latter in 2011.
In her first season at Army, DePolo mentored Veronica Barth, a first-team All-Patriot League selection as a utility player. She was also instrumental in recruiting the present senior class that ranks among Army's top returning hitters and leaders in runs, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and stolen bases.In her final season as an assistant, she cut Army's ERA in half and continues to mentor the pitching staff.
DePolo had ties to West Point prior to joining the Black Knights in 2008. She was the head softball coach at the U.S. Military Academy Prep School in 2004. She led the squad to its best record in program history, including a pair of shutout victories over the defending junior college national champion. An eight-year coaching veteran, DePolo also worked on the coaching staffs at Georgian Court University (2004-05), Smith College (2005-06) and Amherst College (2006-07) working with pitchers and catchers.
During her playing days at Georgian Court, DePolo was a versatile performer, pitching and playing various positions in the infield and outfield. A two-year team captain, she led her team to four Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference titles, three Region X championships, three national tournament appearances and an ECAC crown. An All-CACC Tournament pick, DePolo compiled a 0.50 ERA in 2001, allowing just one base runner per inning along with a 4-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.
A three-sport athlete, who also earned three letters in basketball and one in soccer, DePolo graduated magna cum laude from Georgian Court in 2003 with a degree in English.
A Dean's List student every semester, she was named a Presidential Scholar and a National Dean's List recipient. She went on to earn a master's degree in Exercise and Sport Studies from Smith College in 2007.
The Little Silver, N.J., native lettered in softball, basketball and soccer at Red Bank Regional High School, and was named the school's Female Athlete of the Year following her senior year.
DePolo and her brother Steven are members of the coaching fraternity. He is a baseball coach at Catholic H.S. in Red Bank, N.J. Her father, Rudolph DePolo, is a retired U.S. Naval Commander.
