LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A banner season for Villanova softball brought even more recognition for the program as Villanova's coaches won NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year for the Mideast region.

The staff consisting of Bridget Orchard, Gabby Luety and Grace Fagan led the Wildcats to their first regional final in program history, posting a 2-2 mark at the Fayetteville Regional with more tournament wins in one day than in the previous 48 years combined.

Villanova's dominance in BIG EAST play, setting a program record with 19 conference wins after a 9-0 start to the BIG EAST slate, led to the squad's first ever league regular season title.

Sixth-year head coach Orchard brought home more hardware with a sweep at the BIG EAST Tournament, taking home the third championship in the past four years. Prior to Orchard's tenure at the helm, the program had never won a BIG EAST title and now it's been three in just five chances under the '97 alumna.

Luety, a longtime Orchard assistant who came over with her former head coach from Fordham, led the offense to new heights in 2024 after seeing an elevation to associate head coach in the offseason. Under Luety's tutelage, the lineup set a new single season record for walks while finishing second in VU history for home runs, doubles, runs scored and RBI.

Fagan served as the pitching coach in her first season after graduating from Mississippi State last year. In 2024, Fagan developed Alyssa Seidler into the ace of the pitching staff and saw Caroline Pellicano set multiple program records in the circle while three hurlers earned BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team.

The Wildcat staff will now move on to the National Coaching Staff of the Year award voting, one of just 11 programs in the country still in the running.