• 2013 NFCA Hall of Fame Inductee
• 1997, 1998 NFCA National Coach of the Year
• 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2015 NFCA Regional Coach of the Year
• 15-Time PSAC West Coach of the Year (1995-2001, 2004, 2009-14, 2016)
Entering his 25th season at Cal U, Rick Bertagnolli has guided the program into a perennial national contender and placed himself among the elite softball coaches in the country. In 2013, he was rewarded for his accomplishments by being inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame.
The Vulcans have reached the NCAA Tournament 21 times with back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 1997 and 1998.
Currently in his 32nd season as a head coach, Bertagnolli has a career collegiate coaching record of 1,107-320 (.776) and holds an overall mark of 844-270 (.758) with the Vulcans. He enters the year ranked second 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 14 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 nearly 40 NFCA All-Americans, over 90 NFCA all-region honorees and 165 all-conference players.
In 1998, Bertagnolli helped tutor two-time All-American Danielle Penner, who was named the National Player of the Year by the NFCA. He has also coached four players who played on the Canadian Senior National Team: Meaggan Wilton (2000 Sydney Olympics), Megan Timpf (2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 ISF World Championships), Jillian Russell (2010 ISF World Championships, 2011 Pan American Games) and Natalie Wideman (2012, 2014 ISF World Championships, 2013 Pan American Games).
The Cal U softball success under Bertagnolli has also been evident in the classroom, as he has mentored 14 Academic All-Americans - the most by any sport in school history.
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 in the circle, the Vulcans rolled to a program-best 53-5 record to capture the first national championship in any sport in school history.
In 1998, Cal U became only the fourth (and last) school in NCAA 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.
Since the two National Championships, Cal U has maintained a tradition of excellence by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament 16 times in 19 seasons. The Vulcans also won 19 PSAC West Championships (1994-2004, 2009-16) and qualified for 24-consecutive PSAC Tournaments (1994-2017) under Bertagnolli.
Bertagnolli earned his 600th victory at Cal U while leading the team to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2010, and registered his 1,000th career win as a college coach in 2014.
Bertagnolli started his college coaching career at Wabash Valley Junior College for three seasons before serving as head coach at 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 |
38-18 |
.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 Super Regional |
| 2011 |
29-14 |
.674 |
12-2 |
.857 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2012 |
33-10 |
.767 |
12-2 |
.857 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2013 |
38-6 |
.864 |
15-1 |
.938 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2014 |
37-7 |
.841 |
23-0 |
1.000 |
PSAC Champions
NCAA Tournament |
| 2015 |
43-13 |
.768 |
23-5 |
.821 |
PSAC Champions
NCAA Regional Champions
NCAA Nationals |
| 2016 |
38-6 |
.864 |
19-1 |
.950 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2017 |
22-17 |
.564 |
12-8 |
.600 |
|
| TOTALS |
844-270 |
.758 |
387-67 |
.852 |
|
