Longtime South Carolina Assistant Joins Pittsburgh Softball Staff
7/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Longtime South Carolina Assistant Joins Pittsburgh Softball Staff
7/22/2003
PITTSBURGH ? University of Pittsburgh head softball coach Michelle Phalen has announced the addition of assistant Holly Aprile to the Panthers' coaching staff for the 2004 season.
Aprile joins the Panthers from the University of South Carolina where she served as an assistant coach for nine seasons. From 1995-2003, Aprile helped guide the Gamecocks to seven NCAA Regional appearances and a College World Series berth in 1997. At USC, Aprile was responsible for evaluating new prospects, developing and training players, and monitoring academic progress.
Aprile's responsbilities at Pittsburgh will include recruiting as well as outfield and hitting instruction. Phalen also came to the Panthers from South Carolina as both she and Aprile were assistants at USC in 1996 and 1997.
"Holly knows the game of collegiate softball and that's what makes her a great asset for us at the University of Pittsburgh," Phalen said. "Having worked with her before at South Carolina, I'm excited and eager for her to get started. I'm positive she will have an immediate impact on our student-athletes."
Prior to her work at South Carolina, Aprile was a graduate assistant coach at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill., in 1994-95. With the EIU Panthers, Aprile was responsible for the recruitment and retention of student-athletes, developing and training players, and coordinating the strength and conditioning program.
For the 1993 season, Aprile was the head softball coach of the Amherst College club team in Amherst, Mass. She was an All-American pitcher/outfielder for the University of Massachusetts and helped the Minutemen to four Atlantic 10 titles from 1989-92.
From 1993-99, Aprile was also a participant on the United States National Team, playing in the US Olympic Festival (1993-97), Pan-Am Qualifying (1994, 1997), and the South Pacific Classic (1998).
Aprile earned her bachelor's degree in sports management from UMass-Amherst in 1992 and earned her Master's in political science from Eastern Illinois in 1995.