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Brandon Elliott
Brandon Elliott finished the 2021 season as the most successful softball coach in program history, going 507-116 -1 in his 14 years at the helm.
Elliott helmed the Marlins to their third NCAA National Championship in four complete seasons. He and his coaching staff were named National, Regional, State, and Conference Coaching Staff of the Year. The 2021 Marlin squad produced the NFCA National Player and Pitcher of the Year in Jessica Goldyn and Hanna Hull respectively. Elliott eclipsed the 500 win mark while hosting the 2021 NCAA Atlantic Regional at Broyles Field at TowneBank Park. Three of his seniors broke NCAA records including the NCAA Career Pitching Wins, Hanna Hull 132 career wins (124 previous record), NCAA Career Games Played, Madison Glaubke 221 games played (209 was previous record), and the NCAA Singles Season Stolen Base record, Jessica Goldyn 73 of 75 attempts (70-74 breaking former Marlin Courtney Bogan’s record in 2016).
The 2020 campaign presented a unique challenge as the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the abrupt ending, the Marlins had recorded an 11-1 record including a pair of 10-1 five-inning wins over No. 21 Salisbury.
Most recently, Elliott guided his team to its fourth-straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship title, earning the team's seventh-straight bid to the Division III NCAA Championship. The squad finished the 2019 season ranked 11th in the nation en route to posting a record of 42-6, marking the fourth time Elliott's squad has hit the 40-win plateau. The team collected numerous state, regional, and national accolades for their effort on the field. The Marlins pulled in nine ODAC All-Conference honors, five VaSID All-State Awards, six NFCA All-Region honorees, two NFCA All-Americans, and the Fastpitch News (FPN) Pitcher of the Year and First-Team honoree Hanna Hull.
In 2018, Elliott directed the squad to its second-straight NCAA Division III National Championship. The team went 39-1 during the regular season, eventually claiming the both ODAC's regular season title and Championship title. Elliott directed the Marlins through the NCAA Regional Round and Super Regional Round unscathed, earning the team its second trip to the NCAA Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla. in as many years. There the team went undefeated until the final round, where it eventually dropped Illinois Wesleyan University for the National Championship. The team was ranked No. 1 in the nation for the entire 2018 season, setting a record of 55-3 which broke the NCAA record for wins that was set by VWU the previous season (54-3). The team boasted the ODAC Player of the Year (Madison Glaubke), the VaSID Player of the Year (Cassetty Howerin) as well as the NFCA National Player of the Year (Hanna Hull). At year's end, Elliott and staff were also named the ODAC's, the State's as well as the National Coaching Staff of the Year.
Elliott has led the Marlins to many firsts in his duration as the head mentor of the program, putting forth an impressive effort in 2015-16 that saw the Marlins ascend to the No. 1 ranking for the first time in school history. That squad won 38 games and led the nation in steals per game (3.64) while finishing second in ERA (1.11).
His 2017 squad spent the majority of the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country, proving that ranking in the NCAA Tournament. The Marlins advanced to the College World Series for the first time, dropping their first game in Oklahoma City before winning six straight to claim the first national championship in program history. The squad went 54-3, the top winning percentage in the nation while setting a Division III record for wins.
Hanna Hull led the nation in wins (32) and ERA (0.51) and was second in strikeouts (372). As a squad, the Marlins' team ERA of 0.80 led all of Division III. Kiersten Richardson stole 64 bases in the championship season, the third Marlin in four years to lead the nation in steals.
Elliott and his coaching staff was named National Coaching Staff of the Year by the NFCA three times for leading the Marlins to the National Championship Title in 2017, 2018, and 2021.
He has led the softball team to the ODAC championship game in 10 of his 14 seasons as head coach. The Marlins have won eight league titles in his time as coach, with NCAA appearances in nine of the past 10 (2020 season canceled by COVID) seasons, winning 38 games in NCAA tournament play.
His squad has consistently been in the national polls since taking over, but the team has also been atop the national scene in several statistical categories. Elliott's pitching staff has been ranked in the top 20 nationally in ERA on a yearly basis, reaching a No. 2 ranking in 2016 with a 1.11 mark. That pitching staff was paced by Schutt/NFCA National Freshman of the Year and All-American Kandis Kresinske in the circle.
His squads run the bases with the best in the nation, leading the country in stolen bases in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2021. Four of his players, Kayla Malkos ‘14, Courtney Bogan ‘16, Kiersten Richardson ‘17, and Jessica Goldyn ‘21, have captured the individual stolen base crown, breaking school, conference, and NCAA records for steals in the process. All four ladies have been named the NFCA Golden Shoe Honoree for leading the nation in steals during their respective seasons.
He has coached 19 All-Americans: Tori Higginbotham (2012, 2013, 2014), Kristina Kargiorgis (2012, 2015), Courtney Bogan (2015, 2016), Kandis Kresinske (2016), Cassetty Howerin (2016, 2017, 2018), Kiersten Richardson (2017), Hanna Hull (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021), Julia Sinnett (2019), Jessica Goldyn (2021), and Emily Seale (2021).
The Marlins have perennially placed multiple athletes on the All-ODAC, All-Region, and All-State teams with nine members on the ODAC squad every year from 2013 to 2016, including four ODAC Players of the Year and seven ODAC Pitchers of the Year. He has mentored the ODAC Pitcher of the Year in each of the past nine seasons, from 2012 to 2021. He has produced eight State Players of the Year, nine State Pitchers of the Year, and four State Rookies of the Year. Forty-seven Marlins have also found their name listed on the All-Region teams in his tenure.
Prior to his time as head coach, Elliott served as an assistant coach for the VWC baseball team from 2003 to 2007, helping guide the Marlins to two ODAC titles. During his time, he coached Jason Jarrett and Colin Roberson, both draftees of the Florida Marlins.
Elliott was a four-year member of the Virginia Wesleyan baseball team, helping lead the Marlins to two ODAC titles. He served as a team captain on the 2003 team that finished 34-9.
He earned his bachelor's degree in 2003 with a major in communications. Elliott received his master's degree in sports management in 2012 from California University of Pennsylvania.
Elliott and his wife Laura (Mills), a 2005 VWC graduate, reside in Chesapeake with their son Cooper and newborn Rylan, and dogs Bailey and Gracie.
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