• 1997, 1998 NFCA National Coach of the Year
• 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 NFCA Regional Coach of the Year
• 10-Time PSAC West Coach of the Year (1995-2001, 2004, 2009-10)
Entering his 18th season at California University of Pennsylvania, Rick Bertagnolli has guided the Cal U softball program into a perennial national contender and placed himself among the elite softball coaches in the country.
The Vulcans have reached the NCAA Tournament 15 times with back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 1997 and 1998.
Currently in his 27th season as a head coach, Bertagnolli has a career collegiate coaching record of 867-247 (.778) and holds an overall mark of 605-197 (.754) with the Vulcans. He enters the year ranked seventh among active coaches in NCAA Division II in winning percentage and is the winningest coach in all of Cal U sports history.
Bertagnolli’s Vulcan teams have appeared in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Game 12 times and set a NCAA record with 88-consecutive conference wins from 1994-99.
Numerous Vulcan players have garnered national, regional and conference recognition under Bertagnolli’s direction. He has coached 30 All-Americans, 96 all-region honorees and 115 all-conference selections.
In 1998, Bertagnolli helped tutor two-time All-American Danielle Penner, who was named the National Player of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). He has also coached three players who played on the Canadian Senior National Team: Meaggan Wilton (2000 Sydney Olympics), Megan Timpf (2008 Beijing Olympics) and Jillian Russell (2010 ISF World Championships).
The Cal U softball success under Bertagnolli has also been evident in the classroom, as the Vulcans boasted the sixth-highest GPA and led the nation with three ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans in 2010.
Bertagnolli’s career at Cal U began in 1994 and in his first season the Vulcans recorded a 38-13 record, advanced to the PSAC championship game, and captured the regional championship.
After a combined 93 wins the next two seasons, the stage was set for a historic 1997 season. With Penner dominating opponents on the hill, Cal U rolled to a program-best 53-5 record to capture the first Cal U national championship in any sport in school history.
In 1998, Cal U became only the fourth (and last) school in Division II softball history to win back-to-back National Championships. The Vulcans registered a 47-7 overall record behind the play of five different All-Americans, including Penner, who was named NFCA Player of the Year after finishing her career with an NCAA record 141 career victories. Bertagnolli and his staff were named NFCA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year by the NFCA.
Since the two National Championships, Cal U has maintained a tradition of excellence by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament 11 times in 12 seasons. The Vulcans also won 13 PSAC West Championships (1994-2004, 2009-10) and qualified for 17-straight PSAC Tournaments (1994-2010) under Bertagnolli.
In 2009, Bertagnolli registered his 800th career win as a college coach and last year he earned his 600th victory at Cal U while leading the team to the NCAA Super Regionals.
Bertagnolli started his college coaching career at Wabash Valley Junior College for three seasons before serving as head coach at the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg for two seasons.
Bertagnolli and his wife Jodi have two daughters Ava and Mia.
| Year |
Overall
Record |
Win Pct. |
PSAC West
Record |
Win Pct. |
Post-Season |
| 1994 |
38-13 |
.745 |
9-1 |
.900 |
NCAA Regional Champions |
| 1995 |
48-7 |
.873 |
20-0 |
1.000 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 1996 |
45-5 |
.900 |
20-0 |
1.000 |
PSAC Champions
NCAA Regional Champions |
| 1997 |
53-5 |
.914 |
20-0 |
1.000 |
PSAC Champions
NCAA Regional Champions
** NCAA National Champions ** |
| 1998 |
47-7 |
.870 |
20-0 |
1.000 |
PSAC Champions
NCAA Regional Champions
** NCAA National Champions **
|
| 1999 |
39-18 |
.679 |
17-3 |
.850 |
PSAC Champions
NCAA Regional Champions
|
| 2000 |
44-15 |
.746 |
16-4 |
.800 |
PSAC Champions
NCAA Tournament
|
| 2001 |
33-9 |
.786 |
19-1 |
.950 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2002 |
34-7 |
.829 |
19-1 |
.950 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2003 |
28-8 |
.778 |
17-3 |
.850 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2004 |
31-11 |
.738 |
17-3 |
.850 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2005 |
24-16 |
.600 |
13-7 |
.650 |
|
| 2006 |
26-17 |
.605 |
13-7 |
.650 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2007 |
15-17 |
.469 |
11-8 |
.579 |
|
| 2008 |
28-18 |
.609 |
12-8 |
.600 |
NCAA Tournament
|
| 2009 |
35-10 |
.778 |
13-1 |
.929 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2010 |
37-14 |
.725 |
15-1 |
.938 |
NCAA Regional Champions
NCAA Super Regional |
| TOTALS |
605-197 |
.754 |
271-48 |
.850 |
|
