By Elijah Alvarado, Staff Writer
Saint Leo softball coach Erin Kinberger has been named the 2025 coach of the year-her third time winning the prestige title-following another standout season leading the Lions. This award not only highlights the team’s performance but Kinberger’s unwavering leadership and her dedication to the team; the impact she has made on this team is clear.
Coaching at Saint Leo holds special meaning for Kinberger, who is both a Saint Leo alumna and a former Lions softball player, according to the university’s website. As Saint Leo continues to emphasize its Benedictine-inspired Core Values-Community, respect, personal development, responsible stewardship, integrity, and excellence-many alumni reflect on how these values have shaped their lives, whether they pursue their futures elsewhere or return to the university.
“Being an alumni of Saint Leo, I remember coming as a freshman and being introduced to the Core Values,” said Kinberger. Over time, the community of Saint Leo and how we did things here really shaped me, and they naturally just became standard. I think the Core Values are more than just words but the way we move and work here; the people at Saint Leo are the most impactful aspect of those values.” said Kinberger.
Kinberger’s passion for coaching was ignited long before her time at Saint Leo. Influences from her youth laid the foundation for her career.
“My love for the game, the mental challenge and competing to be the best. I was inspired to coach by my grandfather, who coached baseball at the University of Wake Forest. I remember going to his game as a child; I admired him,” said Kinberger.
She credits her parents and husband as critical pieces in her journey.
“My parents teaching me to find purpose in life and career outweighs income,” said Kinberger. “My husband pushing me to take the risk and go for it, moving halfway across the country to Kansas at 23 years old for $10,000 to take my first coaching job.”
The Lions finished the regular season with an outstanding 38-12 overall record and went 21-9 in a highly competitive division. Kinberger has consistently led the team to success-including seven NCAA Tournament appearances.
This team entered the NCAA division II south region as the number 2 seed, and hostedopening rounds at Mary Cannon Cabott stadium beginning May 8. The very moment the seeding was announced, the team jumped out of their seats full of excitement and cheering as coach Kinberger is watching the girls taking it all in with a smile across her face, high-fiving her fellow coaching staff and wiping away tears of joy. Tears of joy reflect how much this program, and its players, mean to her. Kinberger wants her athletes to succeed on and off the field.
“Coach K brings out the best every single one of us. She teaches us how to be the best on the field, but also teaches us how to be strong independent women” said sophomore Nia Debenedittis.
While many might expect her proudest moment to involve a big win or a championship, Kinberger points instead to the relationships and quiet victories that mean the most.
“Being asked to be a bridesmaid in one of my player’s wedding,” she said.
She admires it when her players show support for one another when success occurs.
“When my kids cry happy tears for each other when a teammate finds success she’s been working toward,” said Kinberger.
Kinberger finds joy when there’s growth anywhere within the softball program, whether its players or her coaching staff.
“When my assistants move on and have success.”
It’s not always the typical big moments, It is little unexpected moments.
“The 2018 team singing in the dugout at the National Tournament during the rain delay.
Even though these are little moments from the past, Kinberger still finds joy till this day.
“I know those sound weird, but those are my fondest memories that I cherish and bring tears to my eyes when I think about those moments.” said Kinberger
The success of this didn’t come without adversity. That not only impacts the coaches but in a way the players. In the case of the Lions, it was due to a life-changing diagnosis. The best way to fight through adversity is teamwork.
Each season, the coaching staff selects a hashtag they believe is the key to the team’s potential success. For this season, they chose #TDBU, which stands for “Top Down, Bottom Up”-a reminder that leadership needed to come not only from the coaches and upperclassmen but also from freshmen stepping into leadership roles when it mattered most.
“We felt this team needed everyone to lead-not just one or two women, seniors, or coaches-but everyone stepping up when their time came,” said Kinberger.
Just a few months later, Kinberger was diagnosed with breast cancer-a moment that put the team’s motto to the test in ways no one could have expected. The experience reinforced how vital collective leadership truly was.
“To say we hit the nail on the head in terms of this year’s hashtag is an understatement,” Kinberger said. “This year’s successes are in no question because this group of women linked up and stepped up.”
Through the ups and downs of the season, Kinberger remains highly energized and her encouragement on and off the field keeps the confidence in her players elevated. Kinberger remains committed to keeping Saint Leo core values integrated into the program.
Coach Kinberger’s legacy at Saint Leo is defined by far more than wins and titles. Her leadership, rooted in the university’s Core Values and fueled by personal resilience, continues to shape a program where athletes grow as both players and people. As she celebrates her third Coach of the Year honor and leads her team through another remarkable season, Kinberger’s impact is clear — not only on the scoreboard but in the lives she touches along the way.
