Laura Matthews has been named the head coach at Belmont.
Matthews spent the last three years as the head coach at Wright State, and was set to continue leading the Raiders’ program before it was eliminated by the school due to budgetary reasons. In her three years at Wright State, Matthews owned a 50-76 record and a 19-23 conference mark.
Prior to taking the helm at Wright State, Matthews spent five years as the head coach at Wittenberg University, a Division III school in Ohio. She collected 128 wins and a .691 winning percentage during her time at Wittenberg, and her team finished in the top two in the conference standings in every year of her tenure. She was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2017.
In addition, Matthews’ coaching resume includes a 4-year stint on staff at Lake Forest College. A Dayton alum, she was the Flyers’ starting catcher during all four years of her playing career.
The Belmont softball squad finished the abbreviated 2020 campaign with a 5-14 overall record, and had not yet begun conference play when the season suddenly ended. Matthews will replace former head coach Megan Rhodes Smith, who was recently named the pitching coach at Tennessee.
