Coach Kimball Cassady, who has been involved in Softball since she was five, high-fives her infielder, Lindsey Nelson, as she comes into hit after getting the third out in the top of the third inning. Cassady then points to the sky and declares that she can do all things through Christ who strengthens her, something she has done every third inning before her team hits her entire coaching career.
Cassady started her coaching career during her time at Auburn University as a coach for the Birmingham Vipers, a travel softball team in Alabama. As she coached that travel team, she was also the captain of her softball team at AU.
“I was a hard worker,” Cassady said. “I wasn’t always the best player, but I was always the one out there diving for balls and going all out on every play, and my coaches saw that.”
Hard work and discipline are something she has carried into her coaching career. She learned that from long-term mentor Les Stuedeman, who now coaches the University of Alabama Huntsville. Cassady continues to establish a culture of discipline and effort in her program at Samford, which she has done throughout her time as a coach.
“It doesn’t matter how much talent you have; if you don’t have the team chemistry, you won’t make it, and I think guys are different in that I think guys can, you know, kind of put that stuff aside, and girls just can’t.” Cassady said. “They want to know that they’re loved and a part of the community, and they want all the girls to like each other.”
After playing for Auburn, she briefly worked as an assistant coach at Birmingham Southern College (BSC). She then led Clay-Chalkville High School team and won three straight area championships.
“It was probably a wonder I didn’t get fired in those three years,” she said. “When I say I worked their tails off, we worked relentlessly, and I was young then.”
Her success at Clay-Chalkville led to her getting an offer to be the head coach at BSC, as that program had fallen into shambles. Only nine players were on the team when she picked up coaching there.
In her first year, she had to recruit a soccer player so that they would be allowed to play. That team ended up winning their conference that year. Eventually, she brought that struggling program to a division-III world series team.
When she got to BSC, she didn’t plan on staying there long, as she wanted to coach at a Power Five school. She eventually settled in Birmingham after getting married and having a child.
She told herself the only other job she would want to accept was a position as head coach at Samford. She was familiar with the school and had a cousin who played baseball there.
On the way to the World Series, her friend called and asked if she would apply for the Samford position.
“It was a God thing, and I ended up getting the Job,” said Cassady.
Now 34-19 all-time as a Bulldog, she looks to build the Samford program into a powerhouse. This year, she aimed for 30 to 40 wins, but the team has faced many adversities with injuries.
“This year we’ve struggled, and as a coach, I’m not used to that, so you take that personally, but for me, you have to stick with what you’ve done and what’s been successful,” said Cassady.
When she started coaching for the Birmingham Vipers in college, her coaching record was 200-32. Her all-time coaching record through 12 years is 353-145-1. Her current record this season is 6-23, but she believes they can turn things around during conference play.
It doesn’t matter what we’ve done from now on because we are getting conference play, so it’s ground zero, a new season, and we have to figure out how to turn it around,” Cassady said. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t win in the Socon.”
Even if they can’t turn things around this year, she still believes in Samford’s program. She has kept God at the center of her coaching at Samford, which has led to the players running their own Bible studies.
“Teaching kids is my favorite part of this job, and that’s not just in softball but in life in general,” said Cassady.
Whether or not she can help her girls turn this season around, Cassady wants to keep building on the Samford’s program.
“I want to make this into a powerhouse,” said Cassady. “I mean, it’s just like what Bucky’s doing. With winning comes people, and we want to build this into a small division one school that’s very successful.”
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