CEDAR CITY — With over 700 career wins and leading the Southern Utah University softball team to its first-ever Western Athletic Conference tournament win, coach Don Don Williams is being rewarded.
Director of Athletics Doug Knuth said in a news release there are several reasons for the coach’s contract extension, which will run through 2027.
“Her leadership, dedication, and passion for the game and her student-athletes have been instrumental in the improvement of our softball program this year,” Knuth said.
SUU softball is coming off its most successful season in a decade, compiling a mark of 21-29 in 2024.
“Southern Utah is a special place with dedicated faculty and staff who prioritize the success of our student-athletes,” Williams said. “Our student-athletes are given the chance to pursue their lifelong dreams, obtain an excellent education and embark on careers of their choice. This contract extension provides a solid foundation for our program to continue building a competitive team for years to come.”
And along those lines, the Thunderbirds will also be adding to this foundation in another fashion.
“With Coach Williams leading the way and the new softball complex being built next year, the future is bright for SUU Softball,” Knuth said. “We look forward to continued success under her guidance.”
The Thunderbirds are fresh off their first-ever WAC tournament, where they eliminated Utah Tech in the first round before falling to the host school, Seattle, and the No. 2-seeded California Baptist.
The T-Birds pitching staff saw a dramatic improvement as well, cutting the team ERA in half from a year ago while allowing 42 fewer runs. Southern Utah allowed opposing offenses to hit .322 on the season, down from the .390 mark set in 2023.
Perhaps one of the biggest improvements for the pitching staff was the increase in strikeouts, where the team total rose by 87. This included freshman pitcher Emily Delgado who surpassed the team total from last season by herself, striking out 101 batters on the year.