Kris Herman's Williams softball teams have won five of the last eight NESCAC Championship titles, including two in a row in 2023 and 2024. The Ephs finished ranked No. 15 overall in 2024, falling to the eventual Division III National Champions in the 2024 Super Regional round after winning the Bangor Regional in three straight games. In 2023, they were runner-up in the Salisbury Regional and ended the year tied for No. 17.
Herman has been an instrumental figure in collegiate softball since beginning her coaching career at Tufts University in 1988. After 16 seasons at Tufts, Herman came to Williams in 2003. On Dec. 10, 2021, Herman was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, one of fewer than 100 Coaches enshrined.
On April 29, 2022, Herman reached the 800-win milestone in her career. Herman's career mark stands at 879-448-5, a .662 winning percentage. She became the 15th coach at the Division III level to surpass 800 wins in a career and is 12th on the active list.
Over the past 10 seasons, Herman has guided her Ephs to four NESCAC West Division titles, five NESCAC Championships and eight trips into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Ephs hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time in program history in 2014 and repeated the feat in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2017, Williams hosted a NCAA Super Regional for the first time and repeated that feat in 2018.
The 2019 team was Herman's fourth to advance to the NCAA Div. III National Championships, joining the 2005, 2006 and 2017 squads. This team finished with a 1-2 record and a fifth-place finish. The 2017 squad won two games in the championship round and finished tied for third in the country, the Ephs' best-finish ever.
In 2023, Williams softball returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and finished in the top 25, losing in the NCAA Regional Final to the overall No. 1 team in the nation. During the 2024 season, the Ephs won their second consecutive NESCAC Championship, winning the Regional Championship at Husson with a perfect 3-0 record before losing in the Super Regional to No. 2-ranked East Texas Baptist.
Herman began her coaching career at her alma mater, Tufts, in 1988. She coached the Jumbos for 16 seasons and compiled a record of 339-164-3 (.673), winning five NESCAC titles and guiding her team to an NCAA Tournament appearance in her last seven seasons at the school. Tufts also made its first NCAA World Series appearance under Herman.
In 2004, Herman shifted to Williams, where she promptly led the Ephs to three straight NESCAC Championships (2004, 2005, 2006).
Herman was named NESCAC Coach of the Year four times and earned New England COTY honors in 2001, 2005 and 2006.
In her 36 seasons, Herman has coached 18 All Americans and 49 First Team All-New England players.
B.A. Political Science, Tufts University 1986
M.A. Secondary Education/Teaching, Tufts 1989
Head Softball Coach, Tufts University 1988-2003 Overall record: 339-164-3 (.673), 16 years
Head Softball Coach, Williams College 2004-2025* Overall record: 540-284-2 (.655) in 22 years. *There was no season in 2020.
NESCAC Champions: 1991, '93, 2001, '02, '03 (Tufts), '04, '05, '06, '16, '17, '18, '23, '24 (Williams)
NCAA participant: 1997-2006, 2014-2019, 2023-2025; NCAA World Series 2000, 2005, 2006 (T7th), 2017 (3rd), 2019 (T5th).
