By Marty Gordon
Radford University has a new softball coach. On Monday, Director of Athletics Robert Lineburg announced former Concord Coach Alisa Tasler would lead the program.
Tasler had spent the past 10 years at Concord, compiling an overall record of 247-228.
“We are thrilled that Alisa Tasler is our new softball coach,” said Lineburg. “She has done an excellent job as the head coach at Concord University leading that program to new heights. She has tremendous experience as a head coach and she has great passion for the game of softball. We are very excited about the future of Highlander Softball.”
Tasler brought success to Athens, W.V. quickly, turning the team around from bottom of the division finishes to a perennial contender for NCAA Tournament bids. After a season that saw just one win before her joining of the staff, Tasler worked through two losing seasons in 2012 and 2013 before the team went on to post 30-win seasons in five of the last six full seasons.
In 2019, she led the team to its most successful season in program history. The Mountain Lions made their first NCAA tournament appearance and finished second in the MEC South with a program-record 38 wins. The program also made the NCAA Tournament in 2015 where they would record their first-ever win in the national tournament with a 3-0 victory over West Chester.
Tasler previously spent time as the head coach at Neosho Community College in Chanute, Kansas for six seasons before joining Concord. The Panthers won 54 percent of their games in the demanding Jayhawk Conference in her final two seasons, including a 2011 squad loaded with 14 freshmen. Tasler’s program also experienced excellence in the classroom, earning several Academic All-American honors.
Tasler also spent time as an assistant at Pittsburgh State for three seasons, increasing the team’s win total every year from 18, to 28, then 44. Pittsburgh State ranked second in the nation in team GPA over that span as well.
A native of Newcastle, Oklahoma, Tasler played softball and basketball at Northern Oklahoma College, where she set several school pitching records while helping the Northern Oklahoma College basketball team win back-to-back conference championships.