Syracuse softball hires new head coach

Syracuse softball has hired Dartmouth head coach Shannon Doepking to lead the Orange softball program as the fourth head coach in program history.

SU softball confirmed the news via Twitter and the athletic’s website on Friday. Sources close to the softball team said players were informed of Doepking’s hiring on Thursday morning, but Syracuse and Dartmouth school officials originally declined to confirm the news.

Doepking coached the Big Green for the past five seasons, leading her program to two Ivy League titles. In just her first year with Dartmouth in 2014, Doepking brought the team to the NCAA Tournament and was named Ivy League Coach of the Year. The Big Green made the NCAA tournament again in 2015. Doepking had a combined 116-98 record in her five seasons in Hanover, N.H.

Prior to her time at Dartmouth, Doepking was an assistant at Stony Brook, Farleigh Dickinson and Brentwood Academy. She had an accomplished playing career at the University of Tennessee, playing in three Women’s College World Series from 2005-07 and was a first-team All-SEC selection as a junior with the Vols.

Now, she will get back to donning Orange with SU.

This news comes just six weeks after the announcement that former Syracuse softball head coach Mike Bosch would be leaving for an assistant position at Florida. Bosch coached for three years at SU, all of them winning seasons.

SU assistant pitching coach Miranda Kramer was announced as the interim head coach. There is not word on whether Kramer will remain as the head coach for SU’s fall ball season, which begins on Sunday against Binghamton, or if Doepking will immediately step in to take over.