Richard Bland Names Danielle Thacker Assistant Softball Coach
SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, Va. – Richard Bland College Director of Athletics Chuck Moore has announced the appointment of Danielle Thacker as an assistant softball coach/assistant to the athletics department. Thacker served as an assistant coach at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia during 2016-17. She helped guide the Rams to a school-record of 41-22, advancing to the championship game of the NCAA Division II Softball Atlantic 1 Regional, after winning the Mountain East Conference North Division (21-11).
"I'm thrilled to add another outstanding coach to our already amazing coaching staff," explained Moore. "Danielle brings a wealth of experience and knowledge as a coach as well as a former player. Coach Thacker will help our program continue the winning tradition that has been established and we look forward to watching her impact on our student-athletes."
At Shepherd, Thacker served as the pitching coach for a staff that posted a 2.23 team earned run average with 265 strikeouts in 410.2 innings. Two of the pitchers earned MEC All-Tournament Team honors, including one who garnered All-Atlantic Region and All-MEC accolades. Thacker was involved with the Rams' practice planning, outfielder maintenance and pitcher evaluation, including pitch calling, charting and game analysis for each pitcher. She had administrative duties, as well, including travel planning, budget assistance and team apparel designing and ordering.
"It is a great honor to be named to the softball staff at Richard Bland College of William & Mary," said Thacker. "I look forward to working with our student-athletes to help build on the program's tradition and lead the Statesmen to even greater prominence. I am thankful to Head Coach Katy Lampman and the Richard Bland community for the opportunity to be an assistant coach here, and I am excited for this new chapter in my career."
Thacker has also coached collegiately as an assistant/pitching coach at Division III Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania during 2015-16, Division III Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania during 2012-13 and at her alma mater, Division I the University of New Mexico, during 2003-04. Additionally, she has more than 15 years of private instruction experience, including with the Creating Aces (2013-17) in West Virginia and Maryland, and Triple Crown Sports (2001-03) in Fort Collins, Colorado. Thacker played professionally in Forli, Italy for Forli Softball (2000), earning MVP and Best Hitter honors at the Championship Tournament.
Thacker was a four-year letter winner at New Mexico, helping the Lobos to a four-year record of 122-110, including 80-32 during her last two years. She remains one of the finest players in UNM history, finishing her career with a .342 batting average, 26 home runs and a school-record 143 RBIs. Thacker ranks among the top 10 in 16 single-season statistical categories and 23 career stat categories, in pitching, hitting and fielding. She was 51-25 with 348 strikeouts in 479.0 innings in the circle, pitching a perfect game in 1999, the first for the program since 1978. Thacker was named a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Player of the Week five times, Pitcher of the Week five times and was awarded All-WAC First Team honors in 1997 and 2000.
Danielle earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in University Studies from New Mexico in 2000. She and her husband, Chad, have a son, Garrett (12), and a daughter, Peyton (10).