DANVILLE, Va. – Averett University's Department of Athletics announced the promotion of
Anna Coleman '22/'24 to the Assistant Director of Athletics.
Coleman, currently serves as Averett's Assistant Director of Operations and its Senior Woman Administrator. On the field, Coleman will remain as head coach of the Cougars' softball program, a position she has held since December 2024.
"Anna has taken on a significant role in the department and as our SWA has responsibilities administratively while coaching," said Danny Miller, director of athletics. "She deserves to be recognized for her contributions and will continue to help guide our department."
On her promotion to Assistant Director of Athletics, Coleman remarked, "I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity and for the trust placed in me by Danny Miller and Dr. Powell. I'm excited to continue supporting our student-athletes and coaches while doing what I can to move our athletic department forward."
On the diamond, Coleman completed her first season in the dugout with an 18-15 record, with an 8-14 record in ODAC play. Coleman's squad upset a top-25 team in 2025, taking down then No. 19 Muskingum University on March 19; then qualified for the conference tournament. The Cougars went 1-2 in pod play, being eliminated by the University of Lynchburg. Coleman coached two players to All-ODAC honors, with Carson Bradsher being named first-team in the outfield, while Mackenzie Newcomb earned third-team at shortstop. Coleman also had five players who earned Academic All-District recognition as named by the College Sport Communicators, and one who was named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State First Team. Additionally, she had multiple players receive awards at Averett's Night of Champions, including the prestigious Dr. Frank Campbell Sportsmanship Award.
In the classroom, 11 of Coleman's players were named to the 2024-25 ODAC All-Academic team.
Coleman's dedication to Averett softball was seen before transitioning to her current operational role. Starting all four years for the Cougars, primarily at catcher, Coleman completed a stellar career in the navy and gold. She earned USA South All-Conference East Division First Team honors in 2021 and 2022, achieved USA South Rookie of the Week once, and assisted Averett in its run to the 2019 USA South Tournament championship as a freshman. Coleman finished her career with a .349 batting average, after hitting a career-high .384 as a senior. She also tallied 128 hits, 27 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 65 runs batted in and 61 runs scored in 115 career games while making 113 career starts for Averett.
Her reach went beyond the field, as well. Coleman was named a co-recipient of Averett's Senior Female Athlete of the Year in 2022, and earned USA South Academic All-Conference honors. Coleman was a member of Averett's Captains and Leaders meetings, as well as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Hailing from Yanceyville, North Carolina, Coleman earned her bachelor's degree in biology and biomedical science from Averett in May 2022. She finished her master's degree from Averett in May 2024.
