Hitting 1,000: Coach Wilson makes D3 softball history

Kim Wilson saw the giant orange cooler coming straight at her. But there was no way out.

As her undefeated Rowan University softball squad and coaching staff surrounded her and cheered wildly, Wilson was given an icy shower—the ultimate champions’ salute—courtesy of her proud players.

That’s what happens when you make history.

On March 18, Wilson became the first female NCAA Division III softball coach to notch 1,000 victories.

“It was chilly,” Wilson laughed of the dousing, which came after her team, now 26-0 and ranked third in the nation in D3, defeated Wisconsin-Stout on the team’s Florida trip during Spring Break.

In doing so, the Profs, a tightknit squad of talented, spirited athletes, handed their beloved coach a landmark victory she didn’t even know was happening.

“I knew we were getting close, but I don’t pay attention to that stuff. The players knew and the coaches knew. But I didn’t know until my assistant coach said it to me. And then they announced it on the loudspeaker at the game.

“For them to keep the secret was pretty incredible,” said Wilson, now in her 29^th year leading the Profs. Before joining Rowan, Wilson coached softball and soccer for six years at Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.  

“It’s crazy to still be doing the same thing and enjoying it. I do love it. I’m lucky to go and play a game for a living.”

A stellar career

From day one, Wilson’s coaching career has been one for the record books. While she doesn’t remember every win, her first one came at Washington & Jefferson.

“I was 24. I had six seniors who were 22. I had no idea what I was doing,” she said.

She was a quick study. The daughter of a coach—“My mom was a volleyball and softball coach at Penn State-Behrend. I’ve been on a college campus since I was eight years old. I don’t know anything different,” she said—Wilson won a conference title at Washington & Jefferson and was a two-time league Coach of the Year.

Under her leadership at Rowan, the Profs have won nine New Jersey Athletic Conference titles and have made 20 NCAA Tournament appearances. Under her tutelage, Rowan has reached the Division III Championship Tournament five times (1999, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2024). In 2023 and 2024, the Profs claimed back-to-back third-place finishes.

Inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame in 2023, Wilson is a respected leader in the NCAA, chairing the D3 East Region Advisory Committee and serving on the National Softball Committee and the NFCA Head Coaches Committee.

‘Softball is a bonus for them’

In national standings, three D3 coaches are ahead of her in victories. The leader is Central College’s George Wares, who amassed 1,265 wins while coaching the Iowa school to four national titles in 40 years.

A national championship is something that Wilson and her team continue to seek. But, Wilson said, what’s most important is the growth of her players as students and people, she said.

“Our players come to Rowan and they get a great education,” Wilson said. “Softball is a bonus for them.”

The institution’s growth—Rowan is a top 100 public research university and the third fastest-growing public research institution in the nation—means that the University offers more majors than ever. That attracts athletes who want a great education and to play for a program with a winning tradition, Wilson said.

Last year, 11 players—with majors, among others, including environmental science, health and physical education and mechanical engineering—were named Scholar Athletes of Distinction. Additionally, 10 players were named All-America Scholar-Athlete selections by the NFCA.

In an era when high schoolers often focus on just one sport, Wilson is drawn to athletes who have played multiple sports. For the Profs, teamwork goes beyond what happens on the field or in practice.

Wilson’s squad regularly has team dinners and movie nights. Moreover, the Profs volunteer as a group for Fresh for All, Rowan’s weekly partnership with Philabundance, which provides free fresh vegetables and fruits to community members each Friday morning.

Strong, proud team culture

That speaks to a strong, proud team culture—something that unites the team beyond the diamond.

“In the early 2000s, we started to talk about loving each other as a team,” she said. “We created an environment where it’s OK to fail and we still will love you. I don’t have to talk about that anymore because the kids do it. The culture is just passed along.

“The team works very hard. They don’t want to disappoint me and each other. In this game, you fail 70 percent of the time and, yet, you’re still a good player. So many of my former players go and coach college and high school all over and our kids also come back and help the team. It’s really cool.”

As the season progresses, Wilson knows Rowan’s current hefty undefeated record will be tested by every opponent. A lot has to go right for the Profs to win the national D3 title, she said.

“In 1999, we went to the World Series. We expected to do that every year and we didn’t go back again until 2016,” Wilson said.

“They’re on a pretty good roll and winning it all would be a great thing. To do that, you need a little luck at the end of the season—for the ball to bounce your way. We take it game by game. We’re just looking to play good softball.”

That starts and begins with Wilson’s historic leadership. A multiple honoree as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Wilson and her coaching staff in 2024 earned the ATEC/NFCA Division III Region IV Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season and third time overall.

“1,000 is a big number. That’s a lot of games. I’m the first female and there will never be another first.

“I’m really proud to coach at Rowan and to leave a legacy,” she added. “I’m just the keeper of the softball program.”