Bio

Dawn Stearns is currently in her 16th season at the helm of the University of Bridgeport softball program in 2024-25. 

Amongst a terrific tenure, Stearns has been especially accomplished in recent seasons. In fact, the Purple Knights have piled up 149 wins, three conference titles and four NCAA appearances over their last five full campaigns.

This past spring, the Purple Knights posted a 27-23 record en route to an NCAA East Regional berth. Prior to Selection Monday, UB’s postseason also featured a run to the CACC Championship game before inclement weather concluded the tournament.

In 2022, Coach Stearns moved into the top spot in all-time wins at UB and currently stands with 298 career victories. The season prior, Bridgeport captured the first regular-season title in program history and won an NCAA tournament game for the first time in over 30 years. Stearns was named the ECC Co-Coach of the Year in 2021 as well. 

UB softball is a leader in academics throughout all of NCAA softball. UBSB ended the 2019 season with a 3.776 GPA, the highest in the nation, and the Purple Knights continue that tradition today, as Coach Stearns’ philosophy of a great balance of high academic and great athletics performance has proven to be a success for the Bridgeport Softball program, as the Purple Knights consistently rank as one of the top programs in the classroom.

Over the past five seasons, UB softball had 24 players, including the 2023 CACC Rookie of the Year, the 2022 East Coast Pitcher and Rookie of the Year, and in the 2021 East Coast Conference Player and Pitcher of Year, along with 14 All-East Region selections plus an All-American and a nominee for last season's NFCA's Division II Pitcher of the Year award.

Stearns came to UB from Mitchell College in 2009, where she served as assistant coach and before that was assistant head coach at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, Conn.  Along with her collegiate and high school experience, Stearns has led teams from Shoreline Sting and Outlaws programs since 2003.

Dawn is a graduate of Gettysburg College with a BA in Business and Economics. Stearns was a four-year starting catcher and All-Mid Atlantic Conference selection, who still holds the defensive record at Gettysburg with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.