Brenda Coldren enters her fifth season as head coach of one of the finest years in school history in 2006. Coldren continues to build a program that excels on the diamond and in the classroom.

In 2006, the Sycamores were led by First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher Darcy Wood. Wood, now a Junior, was the first all MVC player for the Sycamores since the 1995 season. Current Sophomore Katie Armour was also selected to the First Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All Mid-East Region First Team, the first Sycamore to ever be chosen to the first team squad. The Sycamores also placed Jackie Chomicki on the MVC All-Academic First Team, her second consecutive season to be named to the squad. As a team, the 2006 Sycamores squad finished the campaign in the program’s all-time top-ten in nine different statistical categories, setting a school record for conference victories (12). The 25 victories accumulated (25-26 overall) ranks 4th most in school history and is the most by any Sycamore squad since 1992. Also, the 6th place conference finish was the highest for the Sycamores since the 1992 campaign.

In Coldren’s four seasons with the Sycamores, her four ISU squads pepper the program’s all-time record books, appearing 20 times in different offensive categories and 5 times in pitching categories, including setting the school records in: Home Runs (twice), At-Bats, Base on Balls, Doubles, ERA, and Pitching Strikeouts. The Sycamores have also won a regular season tournament title in each of the last three seasons, and in 2006 they won six out of the nine Missouri Valley Conference series they played.

As the Sycamores have steadily improved on the field of play under Coldren, they have maintained their level of excellence in the classroom. Academically, the Sycamores have finished in the top 20 of the NFCA Academic Excellence Award in each of Coldren’s seasons. The Academic Excellence Award ranks all NCAA Division I Softball teams by their grade point averages, and the Sycamores claimed the top spot in 2004.

Coldren Arrived at Indiana State after serving four years as the head coach at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. At Iowa Western, she compiled a record of 93-84, with 85 victories coming in the last three years of her stay. Coldren set the Iowa Western single-season record for softball wins with 32 victories in 2001, eclipsing the mark her squad had established in 2000. The Reivers recieved their first national ranking under Coldren, appearing in the NJCAA Divison I poll many times during the 2001 season.

Under Coldren’s tutelage, 18 Iowa Western players earned first team all-region accolades in her last three seasons, including one NJCAA All-American in 2001. Additionally, Coldren was instrumental in the development of 22 players who moved on to play at four-year schools, including nine NCA Division I players. Coldren’s Iowa Western teams also performed very well in the classroom, producing an Academic All-American in each of her last three seasons.

Prior to Iowa Western, Coldren served as the assistant coach at Missouri Valley Conference member Drake from 1992-1998. During her stint with the Bulldogs, she worked primarily with the pitching staff, coaching three All-MVC pitchers and one MVC Rookie of the Year. The Drake pitching staff posted the lowest team ERA in the conference in 1993. Highlights of her years at Drake include winning two MVC tournaments (1993 & 1994), a MVC regular season title (1993), and advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 1994. The Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 174-125 during Coldren’s time in Des Moines. Coldren also spent a year as an assistant coach at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut before coming to Drake.

Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Coldren was a highly-acclaimed standout at Central College in Pella, Iowa. At Central, she helped lead the Dutch to four NCAA World Series appearances, including the 1988 NCAA Division III National Championship. She was named MOst Valuable Player in 1988 and was an all-conference solection from 1987-1989. Coldren still ranks in the top ten in numerous career pitching categories at Central, including victories, strikeouts, winning percentage, shutouts, and complete games. Until 2000, she held the national record for scoreless innings. She finished with a .304 career batting average. Coldren was also a member and captain of the Central basketball squad during her time in Pella.

Following her graduation from Central in 1989, Coldren went on to play professionally for the Green Island Softball Club in Dunedin, New Zealand, becoming the first United State player to be recruited to play on the South Island of New Zealand. While there, she also played for the regional team Otago, leading them to a fourth place finish in the National Tournament.

Coldren has been active in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association since 1992, most recently finishing a term on the All-American and Coaching Staff of the Year Selection Committee after the 2004 season. Coldren is married to Brian and they have a son, Owen (5). Brian is the Associate Director of Education Student SErvices in the College of Education at Indiana State University. The family resides in Terre Haute. Coldren’s brother, Brent Vigness, is currently entering his 13th season as head softball coach at MVC rival Creighton University.