Since taking over as softball head coach in June 2010, Averett alumna Bren LaFlamme Taylor has turned Averett into a conference champion and a nationally recognized program.
Her 2015 team has the most successful season in program history after winning the USA South Conference regular season championship and earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Regional. The team set single-season program records for overall wins (35) and conference victories (22) while notching its first NCAA Regional win in the process. Averett was ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 for most of the season, reaching as high as 13th in the poll. She produced two NFCA All-America selections, four NFCA All-Region seletions and six USA South All-Conference performers, including USA South Player of the Year and USA South Pitcher of the Year. Five of her players earned a spot on the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Team, including the VaSID Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Taylor garnered USA South Coach of the Year honors from her peers, as well as VaSID Coach of the Year.
In five of her first six seasons, she she has guided the Cougars to 20-win seasons.
In 2016, Averett went 25-17 while producing the USA South Player of the Year and USA South Pitcher of the Year, along with four all-conference selections and two all-region selections.
Her 2014 squad went 25-13 and had seven players earned USA South All-Conference honors, including USA South Rookie of the Year. She also coached one player to NFCA All-America Second Team and NFCA All-Region First Team honors. Three Cougars also earned Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Team recognition, including Co-Rookie of the Year.
In six seasons, Taylor produced 32 all-conference selections, two USA South Players of the Year, two Pitcher of the Year selections and one Rookie of the Year. Nationally, she has coached three NFCA All-America selections, seven NFCA All-Region selections, 10 all-state selections, one all-state player of the year and one all-state rookie of the year. Taylor's players also succeeded in the classroom. In addition to numerous USA South Academic All-Conference selections, she had two Capital One Academic All-America selections and three Capital One Academic All-District selections.
Taylor became the school's fifth softball coach and the program's first full-time softball coach since its inception in 1983. Taylor, who is a member of Averett's Cougar Club Sports Hall of Fame and the USA South Conference Hall of Fame, was a four-year standout on Averett's volleyball team from 1994-1997. The three-time conference player of the year and two-time conference tournament most valuable player was a 1997 American Volleyball Coaches Association Second-Team All-American selection and a two-time All-South Region pick. She still holds numerous program records.
The Danville native and Tunstall High School graduate also starred on the Averett softball team during her sophomore year. She batted .369 with 21 runs scored and 12 RBIs during the 1996 season as a middle infielder and pitcher. She also was named to the conference's all-tournament team as a pitcher.
Taylor joined Averett's staff after teaching high school mathematics for seven years in the Pittsylvania County school system. She gained coaching experience at both the high school and college levels. While she was still a student at Averett, she served as Gretna High School's volleyball coach from 1996-1998, leading the Hawks to a district championship. From 1998-2002, Taylor was an assistant coach on Averett's volleyball team, which won multiple conference titles during that span. From 2004-2005, she coached Tunstall's junior varsity volleyball and softball squads to district championships.
Taylor resides in Danville with her husband, Adam, and daughters Delaney and Ava.
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| Â BREN TAYLOR'S YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RESULTS |
| Season |
Overall |
USA South |
Finish |
Postseason |
| 2011 |
22-20 |
8-10 |
7th |
USA South Conference Tournament |
| 2012 |
21-22 |
8-10 |
7th |
USA South Conference Tournament |
| 2013 |
15-23 |
9-13 |
9th |
— |
| 2014 |
25-13 |
18-6 |
3rd |
USA South Conference Tournament |
| 2015 |
35-5-1 |
22-1 |
1st |
USA South Conference Regular Season Championship; USA South Conference Tournament; NCAA Regional |
| 2016 |
25-17 |
14-6 |
T-3rd |
USA South Conference Tournament runner-up |
| Totals |
143-99-1
(.591) |
79-46
(.632) |
|
|
| Â COACHING HIGHLIGHTS |
|  • 2015 USA South Conference Regular Season Championship |
|  • 2015 NCAA Regional appearance |
|  • 2015 USA South Conference Coach of the Year |
|  • 2015 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Coach of the Year |
|  • 32 USA South All-Conference selections |
|  • 2 USA South Conference Player of the Year Selections |
|  • 2 USA South Conference Pitcher of the Year Selections |
|  • 2015 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Player of the Year |
|  • 2014 USA South Conference Rookie of the Year |
|  • 2014 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Rookie of the Year |
|  • 2015 Team Set Program Single-Season Records for Overall & Conference Victories |
|  • 3 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America selections |
|  • 7 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region selections |
|  • 10 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State selections |
|  • 2 Capital One Academic All-America selections |
|  • 3 Capital One Academic All-District selections |
|  • Program-record 7 USA South All-Conference selections in 2014 |
|  • Highest career winning percentage in program history |
*Last updated on 5/17/2016
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