Arizona Softball Adds Former All-American to Coaching Staff
The University of Arizona Wildcats softball program announced the hiring of former Arkansas Razorback great Danielle Gibson Whorton as an assistant coach on Tuesday.
Gibson Whorton worked last year as an assistant for Head Coach Steve Singleton at the University of California, where she served as the hitting coach.
Prior to Cal, she worked two seasons for her alma mater, Arkansas, under Head Coach Courtney Deifel. During her time with the Razorbacks, she helped guide them to an 81-32 overall record that included back-to-back NCAA appearances.
At Arkansas, her coaching responsibilities centered on team defense. In 2023, Gibson Whorton worked as a volunteer coach for Tony Baldwin at the University of Georgia, focusing on hitting.
Welcome to Arizona, Danielle!
— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) July 7, 2026
We are thrilled to announce the addition of two-time All-American @DanielleGibsonW to the Wildcat family! pic.twitter.com/FwvaAGQkL1
In yesterday's Arizona Softball press release, Head Coach Caitlin Lowe said, "We're thrilled to welcome Danielle Gibson Whorton to our coaching staff. Danielle has distinguished herself at every level of the game. She brings exceptional understanding of offensive development, a relentless work ethic, and a genuine passion for mentoring student-athletes. Our hitters will benefit tremendously from her experience, energy, and competitive mindset, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome her to the Wildcat family."
Gibson Whorton returns to the state of Arizona, where she began her playing career. As a freshman in 2018, she played for Arizona State, where she batted .341 with a 1.044 OPS, 12 home runs and 40 RBIs. She was named First Team All-PAC-12 and to the All-PAC-12 Freshman Team. She was nominated for the national Freshman of the Year.
Gibson Whorton transferred to Arkansas the following year, where she took her game to a new level. The lefty-swinger hit four home runs in one game on February 22, 2019, against Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville. Not only did she tie a record by hitting four home runs in a game, but she was only the second person to hit for the "home run cycle," which included a solo shot, a two-run home run, a three-run home run and a grand slam. She finished the year with 12 home runs and was named Third Team NFCA All-South Region.
Following the pandemic-shortened season in 2020, Gibson Whorton followed up with two All-American years for the Razorbacks. In 2021, she was named NFCA Second Team All-American after hitting .355 with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs. In 2022, she was named NFCA First Team All-American. During her senior season, she hit .445 with 20 home runs and 70 RBIs.
Gibson Whorton played professionally but is now listed as retired. She was selected in the 2022 Athletes Unlimited College Draft and played two years in the AU/AUX format. She finished third on the final leaderboard in 2023. She took 2024 off but returned in 2025 to play in the inaugural AUSL season. She played for both the Blaze and the Bandits last season, and batted .351 with a .952 OPS that included three home runs, four doubles and 21 RBIs across 24 regular-season games played.
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Thomas Carey was born and raised in Delaware and is a graduate of both the University of Delaware and Wilmington University. He has spent his career as a legal writer. He played competitive modified softball for ten years and has been an assistant coach for girls fastpitch since 2017. For the past several years, he served as a recruiting coordinator at the 18-and-under travel ball level.
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