Bio

Dawn Stearns, UB's all-time leader in wins (364), completed her 17th season as Bridgeport's head softball coach in 2025-26.

Among the many accomplishments during Stearns’ tenure, the Purple Knights have enjoyed some of their greatest success in recent years. Since 2021, UB has captured three conference championships, earned five NCAA Tournament berths, and compiled an impressive 182-107 overall record.

Stearns’ most recent campaign was one of the finest in program history. She guided the Purple Knights to their first-ever CACC Championship in 2026 and a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Entering the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed, UB put together a perfect 5-0 run to capture its first CACC crown since joining the league in 2022-23.

The Purple Knights finished the season with 33 victories, marking the second straight year they reached that win total and further cementing their place among the East Region’s top programs.

Individually, Mya Jones delivered a historic season under Stearns’ leadership. The senior was named the CACC Player of the Year before becoming Bridgeport’s first NFCA All-American since 1993.

In 2025, Stearns was named the CACC’s Coach of the Year after leading the Purple Knights to a CACC regular-season title (19-3), a second straight NCAA Tournament berth and an overall record of 33-16. 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 364 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 34 players earn All-Conference recognition, including the 2026 Player of the Year, 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 21 All-East Region selections plus an All-American. 

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.