VILLANOVA, PA. -- Villanova University head softball coach Bridget Orchard today announced the hiring of Chelsea Plimpton as the team's pitching coach. Plimpton is scheduled to officially join the Wildcat staff on June 24.
 
"I am excited to add Chelsea to our Villanova family.  She brings tremendous passion, competitiveness and pitching knowledge," said Orchard. "She has been a winner everywhere she has been. I look forward to her bringing that championship experience to our program as we strive to win the Big East." 
 
Plimpton arrives at Villanova from the University of Massachusetts where she served as pitching coach for the past three seasons. In 2018, she helped the Minutewomen to the Atlantic 10 regular season championship with a perfect 21-0 record. During that 2018 campaign, Massachusetts led the conference in ERA with a 2.37. Plimpton guided star pitcher Kiara Oliver, who led the league in wins (18) and strikeouts (173), to both the 2018 Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Award and NFCA Second Team All-Region honors. Oliver went on to garner second team All-Atlantic 10 distinction in 2019.
 
As a student-athlete, Plimpton played for Orchard at Fordham University from 2008-11 where she was a member of the 2010 and 2011 Ram teams that advanced to the Regional Tournament. Plimpton ranks third in school history in strikeouts and shutouts and she was a member of the 2010 Fordham pitching staff that held the lowest ERA in NCAA Division I softball.
 
Plimpton has also held assistant coaching positions at Towson University (2014-16), Fordham (2013), Marist College (2012) and St. Lawrence University (2011-12).
 
She earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Fordham in 2011.