Softball head coach Chrissy Schoonmaker named former Greensboro head coach Teresa Fister as her assistant coach last Wednesday, marking the first addition to her new coaching staff.
Fister spent the past five seasons helming Division III Greensboro College, accumulating 95 wins over her career and posting a .727 winning percentage with the Pride in 2021, their best winning percentage since 2007. Schoonmaker said in a release that Fister’s experience as both a former head and assistant coach has prepared her to step into her role at GW.
“I am thrilled to welcome Teresa Fister to the GW softball program and to our coaching staff,” Schoonmaker said in a release. “Teresa brings a wealth of experience to our program from her time as both a head coach and assistant coach along with her experience as a student-athlete.”
Fister joins a program that took home both the A-10 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to its first NCAA Tournament in program history last spring, bolstered by a pitching staff that combined for a 1.97 ERA.
“I am beyond grateful for this opportunity,” Fister said in the release. “I want to thank Coach Schoonmaker for believing in me and wanting me to be a part of her vision for the GW softball program. I am already amazed by the people and culture of GW and excited to represent the Buff and Blue.”
The release states Greensboro College nabbed its third consecutive winning season under Fister last season due to explosive play from the pitching staff and hitters. The Pride tallied the most strikeouts in the USA South Athletic Conference with 188 while also putting up a league-best .314 batting average, the release states.
All in all, Fister produced 13 All-Conference honorees and four winning seasons throughout her five year stint with the Pride, according to the release.
Prior to her tenure with the Pride, Fister served as an assistant coach at UNC-Greensboro in 2016, helping the squad to a 33-26 overall record and finishing among the top three in the Southern Conference in ERA and strikeouts, according to the release.
Before she began coaching at the collegiate level, Fister coached for her high school alma mater Northwest Guilford, leading the team to four Piedmont Triad 4A titles from 2012-2015, the release states. She was named the conference’s Coach of the Year three times, according to the release.
As a pitcher at Appalachian State, Fister appeared in 80 games over four seasons beginning in 2006, the release states. She finished as the program’s all-time leader in saves with four and amassed 107 career strikeouts, ranking sixth all time.
“Teresa has had success in every step of her career, and I look forward to seeing her immediate impact on our student-athletes,” Schoonmaker said. “She has a strong passion to teach and a love of the game, and these qualities coupled with her experience make her a valuable addition to our program.”
