Report: Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro to be Named Head Coach at Memphis

Alabama softball's Patrick Murphy would have to hire just his third pitching coach since 2001.

It looks like Patrick Murphy is going to need a new pitching coach. 

According to the website Extra Inning Softball, Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro is expected to be named the new head coach at Memphis. 

Although Prothto had been Alabama's pitching coach since 2012, the season when the Crimson Tide won the national championship, this would be her third head coaching job. 

Prior to beginning her lengthy tenure at Alabama, Van Brakle spent the 2011 season as the head coach at Samford, and two previous seasons guiding Birmingham Southern. 

Samford was 14-40 during her single season, but Birmingham-Southern went 57-14, and had an impressive .803 winning percentage.

During her first season as a head coach in 2009, the Panthers went 32-5 and broke 13 program records including for wins. 

BCS had a .364 team batting average and 1.19 ERA. 

The 2010 team finished 25-9 overall, 12-4 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

As a player (2003-6), she helped Alabama win its first Southeastern Conference regular season title in 2006, plus SEC Tournament championships in 2003 and 2005. 

Prothro was named named the SEC Tournament MVP in 2005 and the SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2006.

Some of the pitchers she's worked at Alabama with include Jackie Traina, Alexis Osorio, Sydney Littlejohn, Sarah Cornell and Montana Fouts, the All-American who recently pitched for Team USA at the World Games. 

Cornell was named the 2019 SEC Pitcher of the Year. 

In 2021, Fouts led the NCAA with 349 strikeouts and was named both the Pitcher of the Year by the SEC and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. At the Women's College World Series, she threw a perfect game against defending national champion UCLA, the fifth in WCWS history and first since 2000.

Memphis finished the 2022 season with a 16-38 overall record and a 2-16 showing in American Athletic Conference play.

Natalie Poole resigned as head coach in March. She had a record of 241-340, including 16-38 last season. She had previously been the head coach at McNeese State, her alma mater, and also coach at Georgia Southern from 2002-08.

Murphy has had just two pitching coaches since 2001, the other being Vann Stuedeman. She helped Alabama claim three SEC regular-season titles en route to reaching the Women’s College World Series six times.

See also:

World Games Create Homecoming Opportunity for Two of Alabama Softball's Greatest

Alabama Softball Adds Versatile Utility Player Lauren Esman from Michigan