Kathy Riley is in her 11th year as head coach of Longwood University Softball during 2007-08. The 2007 Lancers finished 21-18, their 10th consecutive 20-win season under Riley’s guidance during the final year of the recent NCAA Division I Reclassification period. Coach Riley is now 311-160-1 (.660) through 10 years at the helm of the program.
In 2006, Longwood finished 27-19 for its eighth-straight 25-win campaign, while in 2005, Riley and the Lancers posted a 32-20 record for their fifth consecutive 30-win season. Coach Riley was named the 2005 Division I Independent Coach of the Year.
In 2004, Longwood closed-out the season with a 37-13 record and in 2003, the Lancers claimed a 37-6 overall record and were 19-1 (champion) during the CVAC regular season en route to claiming the program's second CVAC Tournament Championship, and second post-season NCAA Regional Tournament appearance.
Longwood finished 37-14 overall in 2002, 19-3 (runners-up) during the CVAC regular season en route to claiming the program's first CVAC Tournament Championship. The tournament title gave the Lancers their first post-season NCAA Regional Tournament appearance as Riley was named the conference Coach of the Year. Longwood finished 26-14-1 overall in 2001, including another runner-up effort during the CVAC regular season at 12-3-1. The Lancers were 34-23 in 2000, including a runner-up finish at the CVAC Tournament. Riley received the 2000 deBeer USSSA Richard H. Pollak Memorial "Outstanding Sportswoman of the Year" Award. Longwood finished 38-15 during 1999, and was 22-18 during Riley's first year of 1998.
Riley was inducted into the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Softball Hall of Fame November 12, 1999 in Savannah, Georgia during the association's annual convention. The actual USSSA Softball Hall of Fame Museum is located in Kissimmee, Florida. She was inducted along with Mike Macenko from the men's division, and Don Dianodis from the executive division of USSSA. “This award is an honor due to the men and women who have already been inducted,” said Riley at the time. “I am thankful to USSSA for the opportunity to play the game I love. Meeting all of the wonderful people over my 25 years of playing has kept my faith in life and all of the good that it can bring to us.”
Riley previously coached at Mount Olive (N.C.) College from 1993-97, gaining CVAC Coach of the Year honors in 1997 and 1995. During four seasons at Mount Olive, her record was 87-82, including 59 victories during the last two campaigns. She also coached volleyball at the North Carolina school and was conference Coach of the Year in that sport in 1994. Prior to her time at Mount Olive, Riley coached basketball and softball at Goldsboro (N.C.) High School for a year following eight years of working with the Houston (Texas) Flames AAU women's basketball team which won two National AAU Championships.
Success is nothing new to Riley, a native of Dayton, Ohio. In addition to her coaching accomplishments mentioned earlier, Riley has enjoyed quite a remarkable individual athletic past. She was the 1981 Broderick Cup National Softball Player of the Year at East Carolina, leading ECU to a number one national ranking while garnering first-team 'All-America' honors. Riley later played on the gold medal-winning team at the 1990 Olympic Sports Festival. She has also played on five national champion softball teams during the summer months, gaining 'All-America' status seven times.
In basketball, she was a Street & Smith magazine preseason 'All-American' and North Carolina 'Athlete of the Year' in 1981. ECU was a top twenty team that year while advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Riley, who scored over 1,800 career points while at ECU and Middle Tennessee State, earned tryouts for the 1980 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team and the 1978 Pan American Games team. She was a finalist for the Olympic team in 1980, and later played professionally with the Houston Shamrocks of the Women's American Basketball Association during 1983-84.
A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), Riley earned her B.S. in physical education from East Carolina in 1981 after transferring from Middle Tennessee in 1979. She then received her M.E. in physical education: psychology/sociology from North Texas State in 1982.
