Bridget Orchard

Bridget Orchard
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamVillanova
ConferenceBig East
Biographical details
Alma materVillanova
Playing career
1994–1997Villanova
Position(s)Second Baseman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1998–2001Cabrini
2002–2018Fordham
2019–presentVillanova
Head coaching record
Overall864–495–3 (.635)
Tournaments8–20 (.286)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • 4x CSAC regular season (1998–2001)
  • 2x CSAC tournament (2000, 2001)
  • 5x A-10 regular season (2005, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017)
  • 7x A-10 tournament (2011, 2013–2018)
  • 2x Big East tournament (2021, 2022)
Awards
  • 3× CSAC Coach of the Year (1998, 2000, 2001)
  • 6× A-10 Coach of the Year (2005, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017)

Bridget Orchard (née Baxter)[1] is an American softball coach who is currently the head coach at Villanova.[2] From 1998 until 2001, she was the head coach at NCAA Division III Cabrini. From 2001 until 2018, she was the head coach at Fordham.[2][3]

Coaching career

Cabrini

After graduating from Villanova University in 1997, Orchard was hired by Cabrini University to serve as the school's softball coach.[3] Orchard immediately turned the program around, providing the school with its first ever winning season in 1998. The team would continue to improve their record each year in the four seasons under Orchard, ultimately winning four regular season titles and two conference tournament titles. The 2001 team set a record for most wins in a season in program history.[1][4]

At the end of the 2001 season, Orchard was named head coach at Fordham.[5]

Fordham

In a similar situation to what she had faced at Cabrini, Fordham had failed to achieve a single winning season prior to her hiring.[6] The 2002 season would prove to be Orchard's only losing season as coach at Fordham, turning the program into a dynasty in the Atlantic 10.[7] Under Orchard's watch, the program won five regular season titles, seven conference tournament championships, and appeared in the NCAA Division I softball tournament eight times.[8] In the 2010 and 2015 tournaments, Fordham advanced to the Regional Finals before being eliminated from the tournament, the best postseason performances in program history.[9]

On June 1, 2018, Orchard resigned from her position of head coach at Fordham.[10][11]

Villanova

On the same day of her resignation at Fordham, Orchard was hired at her alma mater, Villanova, as head coach.[12][13] In 2021, the Wildcats won the Big East Conference softball tournament for the first time in program history, defeating UConn in two straight games.[14] The team advanced to the NCAA Division I softball tournament for the first time in program history, managing to defeat UMBC before being eliminated from the tournament by Ole Miss.[15]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Cabrini Cavaliers (Colonial States Athletic Conference) (1998–2001)
1998 Cabrini 22–14–1 13–3 1st
1999 Cabrini 26–14–1 17–3 1st
2000 Cabrini 39–9 21–1 1st NCAA DIII Tournament
2001 Cabrini 42–5 21–1 1st NCAA DIII Tournament
Cabrini: 129–42–2 (.751) 72–8 (.900)
Fordham Rams (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2002–2018)
2002 Fordham 14–43 3–18 T–7th
2003 Fordham 37–19 10–6 4th
2004 Fordham 35–24–1 8–6 4th
2005 Fordham 38–16 15–1 1st
2006 Fordham 37–23 13–5 3rd
2007 Fordham 39–20 16–4 2nd
2008 Fordham 36–30 11–9 4th
2009 Fordham 37–22 13–7 4th
2010 Fordham 49–12 16–2 2nd NCAA Regionals
2011 Fordham 42–18 16–4 1st NCAA Regionals
2012 Fordham 32–26 14–6 2nd
2013 Fordham 36–23 15–7 T–2nd NCAA Regionals
2014 Fordham 36–20 13–3 1st NCAA Regionals
2015 Fordham 38–20 17–5 3rd NCAA Regionals
2016 Fordham 39–21 18–4 1st NCAA Regionals
2017 Fordham 46–17 18–5 1st NCAA Regionals
2018 Fordham 33–23 18–4 2nd NCAA Regionals
Fordham: 624–377–1 (.623) 234–96 (.709)
Villanova Wildcats (Big East Conference) (2019–present)
2019 Villanova 29–24 9–8 4th
2020 Villanova 14–13 0–0 N/A

Season cut short due to COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 Villanova 36–14 15–2 2nd NCAA Regionals
2022 Villanova 32–24 16–7 3rd NCAA Regionals
2023 Villanova 37–22 18–6 T–2nd
Villanova: 148–97 (.604) 58–23 (.716)
Total: 901–517–3 (.635)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ a b "Softball Year-By-Year Records". Cabrini University Athletics.
  2. ^ a b "Bridget Orchard - Softball Coach". Villanova University.
  3. ^ a b "Bridget Orchard (2013) - Hall of Fame". Cabrini University Athletics.
  4. ^ "SB Record Book (PDF) - CSAC" (PDF). csacsports.com.
  5. ^ "Bridget Orchard - Softball Coach". Fordham University Athletics.
  6. ^ https://static.fordhamsports.com/custompages/stats/sball/SB%20Record%20Book.pdf
  7. ^ MOQUIN, PATRICK. "Fordham Softball Sweeps UMass to Begin A10 Conference Play".
  8. ^ Centorani, Rob. "College Softball: Villanova's Rauch, Orchard enjoy homecoming at BU". Press & Sun-Bulletin.
  9. ^ Raimondi, Marc (May 24, 2010). "City college softball teams have unprecedented success".
  10. ^ "Orchard Resigns as Fordham Softball Head Coach". Fordham Newsroom. June 1, 2018.
  11. ^ "Binghamton Alum Bridget Orchard Named Softball Head Coach At Villanova". www.wicz.com.
  12. ^ Neel, Roger (6 June 2018). "Bridget Baxter Orchard Named Villanova Head Softball Coach". WNBF News Radio 1290.
  13. ^ "Villanova hires Bridget Orchard as head coach". June 1, 2018.
  14. ^ "Softball Headed to Arizona, Will Play Ole Miss in First-Ever NCAA Tournament Game". Villanova University. 16 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Villanova Wins A Thriller Over UMBC in NCAA Softball Tournament – Philly College Sports". phillycollegesports.com. 23 May 2021.