Jen Steele
Head Coach
Jen Steele is in her fifth season as the University of Delaware softball head coach during the 2023 season, engineering an impressive turnaround of the Blue Hens' program.
In 2023 the Blue Hens won their second-straight CAA Regular Season Championship and Steele brought home the second-straight CAA Coach of the Year. The Hens finished with a 29-20 overall record and an 18-5 conference mark, which was a program record for wins in the CAA. Emily Winburn became Delaware’s first-ever CAA Pitcher of the Year while Kiara Mills became the second Blue Hen in as many years to take home CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors. Six Blue Hens garnered All-CAA honors while four were recognized on NFCA All-Region teams, tying the program record.
Delaware won its first-ever CAA Regular Season Championship in 2022, putting together an overall record of 29-16 and 11-4 in conference play. Steele was named the CAA Coach of the Year while Hanna Garber became the program’s first CAA Defensive Player of the Year in her first year at third base. Garber, Brittney Mendoza and Emily Winburn all earned All-CAA First Team honors, while Julz Garber and Graceyn Frost were both named to the second team. A program-record four Blue Hens were selected to all-region teams.
The Blue Hens went 25-9 in 2021 and advanced to the CAA Tournament finals for the first time since 2004. Delaware finished with an RPI of 23, while its three all-region selections were a program record at the time. UD’s six All-CAA honorees are the most since UD joined the league.
Delaware went 19-4 during the shortened 2020 season, tied for the best start in program history, while the Blue Hens’ improvement of 98 spots in the RPI was the 13th highest in Division I.
Delaware posted a 10-game winning streak, the third longest in school history, and ended the year by winning seven games in a row. The Blue Hens led the CAA in multiple statistical categories including winning percentage, hits, doubles, triples, stolen bases, saves, wins, ERA, strikeout to walk ratio, caught stealing and runners picked off. Additionally, Delaware ranked 10th in the nation in doubles and steals per game.
During Steele’s first season the Blue Hens stole 91 bases, the second most in a UD single season. They ranked 23rd in the country in steals and 29th in triples, leading the CAA in both categories.
Prior to arriving in Newark, Steele spent the 2018 season as the head coach at Marshall, where she led the Thundering Herd to a third place finish in the east division of Conference USA. Marshall featured two All-Region selections and the league’s Freshman of the Year during Steele’s season in Huntington.
Steele served as Jacksonville head coach from 2015 through 2017, making an eight-win improvement while leading the Dolphins to an appearance in the Atlantic Sun Tournament during her first season. During her final year the Dolphins won 30 games and finished ninth in the country with 113 stolen bases. During her Jacksonville tenure, 10 players were named All-Conference and five received ASUN All-Academic honors.
Steele has also served as assistant coach at George Mason and Longwood during her coaching career.
Steele was a four-year member of the Longwood softball team from 2002-05, helping lead the squad to a 143-53 record during her career. She was named the 2002 Carolinas-Virginia Conference Freshman of the Year and the 2005 Division I All-Independent Pitcher of the Year. A two-time All-CVAC selection, she finished with 73 wins, 652.2 innings pitched, 409 strikeouts and a 1.75 ERA in the circle while batting .324 at the plate with 129 RBI and 112 runs scored.
A native of Manassas Park, Va., Steele earned her Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from Longwood in 2005 and went on to earn a Master’s of Science in exercise and sport studies from Smith College in 2007.