BALTIMORE - UMBC head softball coach Chris Kuhlmeyer has resigned from his post to accept the head coaching position at Mercer University.
"We appreciate Chris's contributions to the UMBC softball program and thank him for his dedication over the years. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors," said Tiffany D. Tucker, UMBC Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. "A national search to find a new head softball coach will begin immediately."
Kuhlmeyer was named the Retrievers' seventh head softball coach on August 16, 2018. Almost exactly nine months later, the Retrievers were hoisting the America East Tournament Championship trophy for the first time in program history. In 2021 (just his second full season at the helm), he was named America East Coach of the Year as he guided UMBC to its first-ever America East Regular Season title and a second consecutive America East Tournament crown. In 2022, he repeated as America East Coach of the Year, as the Retrievers won their second consecutive regular season title and third consecutive America East Championship. In 2023, he won his third consecutive America East Coach of the Year honors and led the Retrievers to their third-straight regular season title and fourth-straight America East Championship.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to have been the leader of Retriever Softball over these past seven years," Kuhlmeyer stated. "I spent every day with a clear goal of doing everything I can to continue pushing the program forward and building for the present and future. We have accomplished some amazing and unprecedented things together! I am so proud of all the former and current Dawgs who invested everything they had in this program to make it a consistent winner in the America East.  I cannot thank them, their families, and everyone at UMBC enough for the amazing experience I have had over the past seven years. It is bittersweet to leave a lot of people I care about and built a community with, and I wish everyone all the best and success in the world."
Kuhlmeyer recorded a 158-128 overall record over his seven-year tenure in Baltimore, and the Dawgs went 69-47 in conference play.
