Aug. 4, 2009
Sean Cotter, a native of Norwich, CT, was named head coach of the UMass Lowell softball program, Director of Athletics Dana Skinner announced Tuesday.
Cotter, who has spent the last 10 years as head coach at Plattsburgh State and one season prior as head coach at Post (CT) University, replaces Harry Sauter, who retired after 15 years and a 367-330-4 record with the River Hawks.
"Sean Cotter is obviously a very accomplished coach and he brings a high level of energy and passion to the softball program," said Skinner. "He has also been a highly visible ambassador for the sport and we believe his many contacts will be beneficial in building broad support for River Hawk softball."
Cotter inherits a team which struggled to a 10-31-1 record (9-18-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference) last year, but returns 17 of 18 players, including 15 freshmen and sophomores.
"I'm really excited to be on board at UMass Lowell," Cotter said. "There are a number of reasons I was attracted to this position: the great majors, the location, and the history of success. Harry really built an outstanding foundation over the last 15 years, one on which we hope to build. He will always be a big part of UMass Lowell softball.
"We are going to be an up-tempo team which will look to cause chaos offensively and defensively," Cotter added. "It's a fun way to play softball and I'm hoping to bring that level of play to UMass Lowell."
Cotter was named the head coach at Plattsburgh in 2000 and compiled an overall record of 254-172 which included 10 straight appearances in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament, two SUNYAC regular season titles, two NCAA Tournament appearances, and one SUNYAC Tournament championship.
Cotter enjoyed perhaps his best season in 2007 when he guided the Cardinals to a 37-14 overall record (16-4 SUNYAC, second), the NCAA Division III Northeast Region Championship and a fourth-place showing at the Division III Softball World Series.
Cotter was named the NFCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year and a finalist for NFCA Division II Coach of the Year honors.
That season followed a memorable 2006 campaign in which Plattsburgh went 40-9 overall and 19-1 in the SUNYAC, winning both the regular season and tournament titles. During the year, the Cardinals enjoyed a 23-game winning streak, advanced to the NCAA Tournament Northeast Region championship game and capped the year at No. 12 in the NFCA Division III poll.
In 2008, Cotter led the Cardinals to a 30-13 record - their third straight 30-plus win season - and a share of the SUNYAC regular season title.
Just three years after taking over the program in 2002, Cotter led Plattsburgh to a 31-15 clip and an appearance in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Upstate New York Tournament championship game.
Prior to moving on to Plattsburgh, Cotter was the head coach at Post University for the 1999 season, where he set a school record for wins in a season (33-16) and guided the Eagles to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament championship game. At the conclusion of the year, he was tabbed to coach in the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) All-Star Game.
In addition, Cotter has been tabbed by Coast-to-Coast Athletics to coach various high school/college all-star teams in Australia (2001, 2002, 2004) and Hawaii (2003).
During his junior year at the University of Connecticut (from where he graduated in '97), Cotter was served as head coach at E.O. Smith H.S., where he compiled an overall record of 54-12. In 1998, he guided E.O. Smith to a 23-2 mark, the North Central Connecticut Conference tournament and regular season championships and a semifinal appearance in the Connecticut State Class `L' Tournament semifinal.
Cotter has also been active within the sport, serving as a past president of the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) softball committee.
He has also served on several committees within the NFCA, including the Board of Directors, All-America and Rankings committees as well as the NCAA Division III Northeast Region Rankings Committee.
Along with his coaching duties, Cotter was an adjunct professor of sports psychology as well as the game administrator for women's and men's basketball games.
Cotter holds a Two-Star Master Coach license by the NFCA and is currently working towards his four-star certificate. He is also pursuing his masters degree in counseling psychology at the University of Connecticut.
