Jennifer Teague Named Head Softball Coach at Buffalo
BUFFALO, NY-- University at Buffalo Director of Athletics Warde Manuel announced that Jennifer Teague will become the seventh head softball coach in school history and just its second head coach in the Division I era.
Teague comes to UB after a three-year stint as the top assistant and pitching coach at the Eastern Michigan and was the also the head coach of the Philadelphia Force of the National Pro Fastpitch League.
"I am very excited to be joining the Buffalo family," said Teague. "I am looking forward to coaching these young women and I hope that I can use my vast array of experience, knowledge and successes to provide value back to the University, the students, the community and most importantly the softball program here at UB.
“I look forward to engaging fully in the Western New York softball community as it relates to recruiting, and in addition, with camps and clinics that will not only help our program grow, but strengthen softball locally," Teague added.
The Eagles had a 70-80 overall record in the three years Teague was on staff, including a 33-25 conference mark. The 2007 team finished first in the MAC West and won the overall MAC Title, making the team's first ever NCAA appearance. During the 2007 season, Teague helped the Eagles to a 2.83 team ERA, including seven shutouts. The pitching staff also limited opposing batters to a .245 average.
Following the 2007 collegiate season, Teague joined the Philadelphia Force of the National Pro Fastpitch League. She took over the coaching reins mid-season when the team was 7-9 and after taking the helm the Force went 17-11. While on staff, Teague helped the team lower its ERA and raise its batting average.
Teague remained head coach of the Force for the 2008 season and the team is currently in first place with a 17-7 record. This season, the Force selected Katie Burkhart in the first round. She was the winner in the NCAA Championship game, pitching a four-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts.
Prior to joining the Eagles, Teague was a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Michigan during the Wolverine¹s national championship season. The Maize and Blue were the first team east of the Mississippi River to win a Women¹s College World Series national championship. Teague was part of a staff that garnered 2005 National Softball Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
"Jennifer is a great coach and tremendous person and we are very excited to have her join our staff," said Manuel. "We wanted someone who had experience with a championship program and who could develop young women as softball players, and more importantly, as people. I believe we have found such a person in Jennifer Teague. Her familiarity with the Mid-American Conference and her ability to recruit both locally and nationally will be beneficial in helping us reach our ultimate goal of a MAC Championship."
A 1999 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University, Teague arrived in Ann Arbor following a four-year head coaching stint with NAIA school Concordia University from 2001-2004. Teague¹s run at Concordia was highlighted by a regional championship and the school¹s first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Championship in 2002. The Cardinals closed out the 2002 season ranked 14th out of 268 NAIA schools across the country. She also coached one NAIA All-American and four all-conference players during her tenure with Concordia.
A member of the NFCA, she started her coaching career as an assistant at her alma mater, Indiana Wesleyan, from 1999-2001 following a distinguished playing career, serving as co-captain of the 1998 and ¹99 teams. Teague earned NCCAA All-American Honorable Mention recognition as a senior (1999) after earning NFCA, NAIA and NCCAA All-Region honors as a junior in 1998.
She was also her team¹s Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1998.
