The most successful coach in women’s athletics at Mansfield, Edith Gallagher is entering her 35th season at the helm of the Mansfield Mountaineer softball program in 2026.
Since taking over the head coaching job in 1992, she directed the Mountaineers to eight postseason berths and won three ECAC Championships while producing 62 All-PSAC selections. Gallagher is the first women's coach in school history to achieve the 300, 400, and 500 win milestones.
Under Gallagher’s watch, 31 school records have been set, including a school-best 10 game winning streak in 1992 and five individual records in 1999.
She was named Mansfield University Employee of the Year in April of 2016.
2025 brought exciting moments throughout the season. Annabella Putnam became the next pitcher to ink her name in the history books, finishing fifth in program history in appearances (73), sixth in innings (345.0), sixth in strikeouts (272), tied ninth in complete games (33), and tied for ninth in shutouts (4), while finishing fourth all-time in single season history in strikeouts (108), tied for eighth in appearances (24), and ninth in innings (126.1). Melissa Demo finished fourth all time in program history with 29 stolen bases and tied sixth with 146 appearances. With their series win over Millersville, that brought their first over the Marauders since 2015 with two walk-off wins on Helen Lutes Field and the first PSAC day sweep since 2021, which was also against Millersville.
The 2024 campaign saw Gallagher reached the 500 career victories mark after the season finale stunner over Shippensburg. Kayla Vonstein was named to the All-PSAC Conference Second Team and Danielle Goff finished her historic career in the record books, with five top ten rankings in program career records including 444.1 innings (3rd), 85 appearances (3rd), 287 strikeouts (4th), 40 complete games (4th), and five shutouts (T-6th)
To highlight the 2023 saeason, Danielle Goff became the fourth Mountie in program history to eclipse 100 strikeouts during the season.
In 2022, senior Lacey O'Donnell continued the Mountaineers run of all-league athletes after she was named to the 2nd-Team All-PSAC East as an outfielder.
In 2021, the first full season following the COVID-19 pandemic, Snyder again brought home 1st-Team honors, this time as a shortstop, while senior Hannah Breitigan earned her first All-PSAC honor as a 2nd-Team Utility Player.
In 2019, Gallagher lead the Mounties to an 11-7-1 PSAC Central record, earning their first postseason berth since 2014. Oufielders Joelle Snyder and Ali McGovern each earned 1st-Team All-PSAC.
2016 was the season where coach Gallagher earned her 400th career victory.
During the 2014 season, Gallagher led the Mountaineers to their second straight PSAC Tournament berth and the first NCAA Regional Tournament berth in program history. Mansfield, the seventh seed, won its first NCAA Tournament game in school history with a 9-5 victory over sixth-seeded IUP. Following the historic season, Gallagher was named PSAC East Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year. Senior Kate Pratt once again picked up PSAC East Player of the Year honors and was named Daktronics 1
st Team All-Region, PSAC Top 10, MU Spring Female Athlete of the Year and Capitol One Academic All-American. Pratt, Stephanie Simmeth and Courtney Bauder were named to All-PSAC and ECAC Division II accolades with Simmeth earning NFCA All-Region honors.
Gallagher led Mansfield to its first PSAC Central division title in program history in 2013 after the Mountaineers posted an 11-5 divisional record. Following the season, Gallagher was named PSAC Central Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. The 2013 squad featured the PSAC Central Athlete and Freshman of the Year along with three All-PSAC Central selections.
In 2009, Gallagher directed the Mountaineers to their first PSAC playoff berth in school history with a team that featured just one senior.
In 2005 the team's mark of 21-22 was the fifth straight 20+ win season and included the 250th win of her career. The team's batting average of .303 was second in the PSAC East.
Between 2001 and 2005, Gallagher led the Mountaineers to a 111-117-1 overall mark with two consecutive appearances in the ECAC title game, winning the ECAC Championship in 2004.
In 2004, Gallagher guided the Mountaineers to their fifth ECAC Championship berth and second ECAC Division II title in her tenure. It marked the sixth time a Gallagher coached team has won 20 or more games in a season.
Her 1994 team posted a 23-15 overall record, earning the right to host the ECAC Championship. The Mountaineers finished second in the championship after dropping two one-run games to Gannon.
In her first season in 1992, she piloted the Mounties to the best winning percentage in school history (.803) with a 26-6-1 record. Gallagher’s squad also brought home the team’s second-straight ECAC championship with an 8-5 win over LIU-Southampton in the title game.
An assistant coach in both softball and field hockey at Mansfield during the 1990-91 academic year, Gallagher took over the head coaching duties of both sports in 1992. She turned over the reigns of the field hockey program following the 1993 season.
A 1990 graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in health and physical education, she was a four-year letter winner in both field hockey and softball for the Pride. Gallagher earned all-conference and All-American honors her senior season. Gallagher earned a Masters in Sports Management from the United States Sports Academy in 2004. Gallagher was inducted into the CT Field Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 and in 2008 was inducted into the Hofstra University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Gallagher is currently serving on the NCAA National Softball Rules Committee and has served on the NCAA Division II Softball Committee including a three-year stint as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Chairperson
|
Year
|
Overall Record |
Conference Record |
|
| 1992 |
26-6-1 |
7-5* |
ECAC Champions |
| 1993 |
7-11 |
5-7* |
ECAC Champions |
| 1994 |
23-15 |
6-5 |
|
| 1995 |
10-32 |
4-20 |
|
| 1996 |
9-30 |
6-18 |
|
| 1997 |
10-26 |
7-17 |
|
| 1998 |
12-23 |
5-19 |
|
| 1999 |
19-19 |
9-15 |
|
| 2000 |
21-19 |
11-13 |
|
| 2001 |
11-19 |
8-16 |
|
| 2002 |
19-21 |
12-12 |
|
| 2003 |
20-18 |
11-13* |
ECAC Playoffs |
| 2004 |
27-15 |
11-11 |
ECAC Champions |
| 2005 |
24-13-1 |
11-12-1 |
ECAC Runner-up |
| 2006 |
21-22 |
7-19 |
|
| 2007 |
7-30 |
4-18 |
|
| 2008 |
13-20 |
7-17* |
PSAC Playoffs |
| 2009 |
14-20 |
6-10 |
|
| 2010 |
12-16 |
3-13 |
|
| 2011 |
11-17 |
4-11 |
|
| 2012 |
20-15 |
7-9 |
|
| 2013 |
25-15 |
11-5* |
PSAC Central Co-Champion, PSAC Playoffs |
| 2014 |
24-19 |
15-13* |
NCAA Tournament, PSAC Playoffs |
| 2015 |
12-24-1 |
7-21 |
|
| 2016 |
15-22 |
7-13 |
|
| 2017 |
21-14 |
9-9 |
|
| 2018 |
11-16 |
7-13 |
|
| 2019 |
17-15-1 |
11-7-1 |
PSAC Playoffs |
| 2020 |
6-4 |
0-0 |
Season shortened due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 |
5-27 |
5-27 |
|
| 2022 |
5-23 |
1-15 |
|
| 2023 |
10-34 |
1-31 |
|
| 2024 |
13-29 |
4-28 |
|
| 2025 |
8-32 |
6-26 |
|
| Total |
508-681-4 |
235-488-2 |
|
