Gardner-Webb University introduced Bailey Wigness as its new softball head coach on May 28, 2021.
Wigness previously served as head coach at USC Beaufort for three seasons.
“Bailey Wigness is a proven winner,” praised Gardner-Webb President Dr. William Downs. “As a player, she’s won a National Championship. As a coach, she’s turned programs around, had 40-win seasons, and won conference titles. She’s exactly what we need right now to energize GWU softball and power us to greatness.”
Wigness’ success as a head coach came quickly. She won 78 games in just three seasons in charge at USC Beaufort, leading the Sand Sharks to a 40-13 record, conference tournament title and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament in her first season.
That team started the season with a 19-0 record and lost only twice at home all season, showcasing the strengths of Wigness’ teams – good pitching and team speed. The Sand Sharks forged a 2.43 ERA on the season and swiped 73 bags in 53 games.
In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Wigness led her team to 13 wins with a 2.54 team ERA and 29 steals. In 2021, the Sand Sharks won 25 games, posted a stellar 2.21 team ERA and stole 40 bases.
“We had a strong candidate pool and Bailey quickly separated herself from the rest as she shared her vision for our softball student-athletes and the Gardner-Webb program,” said Vice President for Athletics Chuck Burch. “She has won at all levels, as a student-athlete, as an assistant coach and most recently as a head coach. I am confident Bailey has developed the skills necessary to lead our softball program to compete for Big South Conference championships.”
Prior to taking over as head coach at USC Beaufort, Wigness served as an assistant coach for three seasons at Boise State University. In 2018, she was part of a staff that delivered a school-record 40 wins, the first conference title in program history and the Broncos’ first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. During her time in Boise, Wigness helped develop an offense that twice produced top-10 national team batting averages.
She was an assistant coach at Arizona Christian University for one season, and made a tremendous impact on that program in 2015. The program saw a 20-win improvement from the previous season – winning 31 games. That marked the biggest turnaround in the NAIA nationally that season.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Gardner-Webb family and excited for the opportunity to lead the softball program,” said Wigness. “It truly is a great place with so much potential and I felt at home the moment I stepped onto campus. I want to thank Dr. William Downs, Chuck Burch and the rest of the search committee for this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to begin working with our student-athletes and developing a culture that sets them up for success on and off the field.”
Wigness played at national power Arizona State University, three times earning All-Pac 12 honors and leading the Sun Devils to the 2011 National Championship. She finished her career with a spectacular .371 batting average, stole 40 bases and scored 130 runs.
She was also a three-time Capital One Academic All-America selection in Division I and a member of the Pac-12 All-Academic first team with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. She earned the NCAA’s Elite 89 Award in 2013, which is given annually to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA who is also competing in their respective sport’s championship event.
Wigness remains ranked among the program's all-time leaders in career batting average (8th) and stolen bases (11th).
The Casa Grande, Ariz., native graduated from Arizona State with a degree in communications and political science. She earned her master’s degree in educational leadership in 2018 from Boise State.
