Entering 2025-26: 24th year (23rd as head coach)
Alma Mater: Campbellsville University ('99)
Overall Record: 807-382-4 (.677)
MSC Championships: 9
A pillar of Campbellsville University athletics, Shannon Wathen enters her 24th season with the university and 23rd as the head coach of the Lady Tiger softball program, having built a legacy of national prominence and conference dominance. Ranked among the top 20 active NAIA coaches for career wins, Wathen is the second-winningest coach in Campbellsville University history. Her decorated tenure is highlighted by leading the Lady Tigers to their first-ever NAIA World Series appearance in 2015 and consistently producing championship-caliber teams and nationally recognized student-athletes.
Under Wathen's leadership, the Lady Tigers have been a perennial power in the Mid-South Conference, capturing nine regular-season championships and six tournament titles. Her teams have been a fixture in the conference tournament finals, appearing in 13 championship games during her time at the helm. This sustained success is a testament to her ability to build and reload talented rosters, evidenced by her 10 MSC Coach of the Year awards.
An accomplished developer of talent, Wathen has coached numerous players to NAIA and NFCA All-American honors, in addition to multiple conference Player, Pitcher, and Freshman of the Year recipients. Her own experience as an elite student-athlete at Campbellsville—where she was a two-time All-American in women's basketball—provides a unique foundation for her coaching philosophy.
Wathen, a 1999 Campbellsville graduate, began her coaching career as a graduate assistant for the women's basketball team under legendary coach Donna Wise before taking the helm of the softball program in 2003. Her commitment to the university's mission extends beyond the field, as she has participated in several athletics department mission trips.
A YEAR-BY-YEAR LOOK AT WATHEN'S TENURE
Campbellsville University: Overall record: 807-382-4 (.678)
2003: 25-21
2004: 21-27
2005: 28-16 (14-15 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Champs, MSC Tournament Champs,
2006: 38-14 (15-5 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Champs, MSC Tournament Champs
2007: 41-14-1 (14-4 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Champs
2008: 29-21 (12-8 MSC) - MSC Tournament Champs
2009: 39-7-1 (17-1-1 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Champs
2010: 38-20 (21-7 MSC)
2011: 34-27 (18-7 MSC)
2012: 41-24 (15-8 MSC)
2013: 43-17 (25-5 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Co-Champs
2014: 44-21 (26-10 MSC)
2015: 38-11 (22-2 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Champs, NAIA Opening Round Champs, NAIA World Series
2016: 49-10 (27-1 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Champs, MSC Tournament Champs, NAIA Opening Round
2017: 39-15 (18-4 MSC) - NAIA Opening Round Host
2018: 47-10 (23-5 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Champs, MSC Tournament Champs, NAIA Opening Round Host
2019: 35-15 (16-8 MSC) - NAIA Opening Round
2020: 12-7 (0-0 MSC) - COVID-19
2021: 41-13 (27-5 MSC) - MSC Regular Season Co-Champs, MSC Tournament Champs, NAIA Opening Round
2022: 38-18 (23-5 MSC) - NAIA Opening Round
2023: 31-17-2 (17-8 MSC) - NAIA Opening Round
2024: 29-18 (14-10 MSC)
2025: 27-18 (10-8 MSC) - NAIA Opening Round
