Jeff Bricker

Jeff Bricker, an administrator and coach at various NCAA Div. III schools for almost 30 years, will serve as The College of Wooster's head softball coach for the 2016 campaign, it was announced by Keith Beckett, Wooster's director of athletics, physical education, and recreation on Thursday.

Bricker replaces Lori Schimmel, who headed the program for 16 seasons, while first-year assistant Stephen Alcorn remains with the coaching staff. A national search for a new head coach will commence late in the spring.

"We are confident, and thankful, that 'Brick' can get us through this time of transition for the softball program, and provide a great experience for our student-athletes," stated Beckett. "He has done a lot of coaching through the years, and possesses a strong commitment and understanding of NCAA Div. III."

Bricker's most recent coaching experience was a smashing success, as he directed the Wayne County Gunslingers, an under-19 summer baseball team, to a 39-1 record and the American Legion state championship during the summer of 2014.

Bricker has an abundance of college coaching experience as well. He spent two different stints and 11 total years as an assistant with Wooster's tradition-rich baseball program, including nine seasons (2004-12) during which the Fighting Scots won six North Coast Athletic Conference championships and finished second once (2009) and third another time (2005) in the NCAA Div. III Baseball Championship, all while posting a 318-101 record (.759).

The head baseball coach at Capital University from 1991-96, Bricker led the Crusaders to one of their most successful runs in team history. They won 102 games (102-129-1), including a still-standing school-record 25 in 1995, when he was named Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

Bricker then spent seven seasons as an assistant baseball coach at Ohio Wesleyan University, playing an integral part on Battling Bishop squads that made seven trips to the NCAA regionals and won three NCAC crowns.

As a player, Bricker was an all-conference performer at Hesston Junior College in Hesston, Kan., before moving on to Bluffton College, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in recreation management in 1986.

Bricker will also continue to serve as the athletic department's purchasing manager and equipment room supervisor, a position he has held at Wooster since 2012.