Dawn Stearns

Bio

Dawn Stearns, UB's all-time leader in wins (331), is in her 17th year at the helm of the University of Bridgeport softball program in 2025-26. She was named the CACC’s Coach of the Year this past spring after leading the Purple Knights to a CACC regular-season title (19-3) and an overall record of 33-16.  

Amongst a terrific tenure, Stearns and the Purple Knights have been especially accomplished in recent seasons. In fact, Bridgeport has piled up 182 wins, four conference titles and five NCAA appearances over their last six full campaigns.

In 2025, Stearns led UB to its second straight NCAA Tournament berth and finished with an overall record of 33-16. The Purple Knights went 19-3 in conference play to finish as the CACC’s regular-season champions. Bridgeport appeared in the NFCA's national rankings at No. 25 after completing a 33-12 regular season.

UB’s 2024 campaign featured a 27-23 record en route to an NCAA East Regional berth as the No. 7 seed. Prior to Selection Monday, UB’s postseason 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 331 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 six seasons, UB softball has had 29 players earn All-Conference recognition, including the 2025 Pitcher of the Year, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, the 2022 Pitcher and Rookie of the Year, and the 2021 Player and Pitcher of Year, along with 17 All-East Region selections plus an All-American and a trio of nominees for last season's NFCA's Division II Pitcher and Player of the Year awards.

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.