KINGSTON, R.I. –
Whitney Goldstein has been named as the head coach for Rhode Island's softball team, Director of Athletics
Thorr Bjorn announced Wednesday.
Goldstein comes to URI after a highly successful eight seasons at WPI, where she led the Engineers to four regular-season titles, two NEWMAC Championship crowns, three NCAA Regional appearances and two Super Regionals. A two-time NEWMAC Coach of the Year, she also was the ECAC Regional Coach of the Year in 2016.
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Whitney Goldstein has a long history of success, both as a coach and as a player in the Atlantic 10," Bjorn said. "Her leadership skills and passion for the game are clear, and I believe she is the right person to elevate our softball program. I am thrilled to welcome her to the Rhode Island family."
In 2016, her WPI squad was No. 1 in New England, and a year later the team was ranked No. 11 in the country by the NFCA. She set WPI's single-season win total in three consecutive seasons, winning 30 games in 2014, 34 games in 2015 and 38 games in 2016. Over her nine seasons as a head coach, Goldstein has a .719 winning percentage,
Before her time at WPI, Goldstein spent three seasons at Amherst College, including one as the interim head coach. She also was the director of softball operations at UMass in 2010. As a head coach, Goldstein has a career record of 230-90.
"I would like to thank Director of Athletics
Thorr Bjorn, head of the search committee
Shane Donaldson and all other members of the URI Athletic department for making me feel welcomed and excited to lead the softball program to new heights of success," Goldstein said. "I am honored to be a Ram.
"I am thrilled to be a part of Rhody Athletics, which is a great academic institution. We will strive to recruit the highest caliber student-athletes and continue to work with our great current players to build a contagious softball brand that offers the best student-athlete experience. I look forward to URI competing and thriving in the Atlantic 10 and on a national scale."
During her playing career, Goldstein was an All-American for legendary head coach Elaine Sortino while leading Massachusetts to four straight Atlantic 10 championships from 2006-09. The Minutewomen made four straight appearances in the NCAA Championship, including a run to the Super Regionals in 2006.
As a freshman, Goldstein was the first A-10 player in league history to be named both the Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season. She was a three-time A-10 First Team All-Conference selection, a three-time NFCA All-Region honoree and an Academic All-Conference pick. She started all 217 games she played at UMass, batting .341 with 28 home runs and a program record 156 runs batted in.
Goldstein is the granddaughter of the late baseball legend Don Zimmer, who spent 65 seasons in Major League Baseball as a player, manager and coach.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT WHITNEY GOLDSTEIN...
"The University of Rhode Island made the right decision in hiring Whitney Goldstein. Whitney is an outstanding coach who knows how to build a culture of winning while developing her student-athletes on and off the field. I am excited to see where Whitney takes the URI softball team as their head coach. She is a young, successful up and coming coach, and I look forward to watching the positive results and growth of the URI softball program due to her hard work."
- Michele Smith, USA Softball Hall of Fame inductee; Olympic Gold Medalist; ESPN Analyst
"I am very excited for Whitney and this opportunity for her to lead the University of Rhode Island Softball Program. Whitney is passionate about teaching and leading young women. She is energetic and holds high standards for her staff and student-athletes to succeed both on and off the field. Her teams at WPI have produced all-conference and all-region players, but it is the team success that Whitney emphasizes on the field as well as giving back to and participating in the community. Thorr Bjorn knows Whitney and her background and made a tremendous choice in Whitney becoming the next leader of the Rhody Softball Program."
- Kathryn Gleason, Head Coach, Northern Kentucky