Luke Wagner, a native of Sidney, Ohio, will begin his 15th year as a collegiate softball coach and third as head coach at Goshen during the 2024-2025 season.
In two seasons at Goshen, Wagner has led the Leafs to new heights. On the field, Maple Leafs softball has set single-season marks for both conference and overall wins in a season. The team has been acknowledged in the classroom as finishing in the top 30 nationally among all NAIA institutions for team GPA. Under Wagner's direction, over 20 Maple Leafs have earned NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete awards. Five players have been named All-Conference selections, three First Team and two Second Team, with junior McKenzie Richardson earning a spot on the 2023 NFCA All-Region Second Team.
Before coming to Goshen, Wagner was the head coach at Rhodes College, where his teams broke nearly 20 single-season records throughout 11 seasons. On the field, Wagner coached the college's first NFCA All-American, seven NFCA All-Region selections and 31 All-Conference First or Second Team selections. Additionally, in 2019, Wagner led the Lynx to their first national ranking. In the classroom, Wagner's emphasis on education resulted in Rhodes’ 2017, 2018 and 2019 teams earning national recognition as Top 25 NFCA Team GPA. recipients; and his 2021 team was ranked fourth nationally.
Before Rhodes, Wagner was the assistant softball coach at Division I College of the Holy Cross. As a member of the Crusaders’ coaching staff, Wagner was actively involved in all phases of the softball program, including his primary responsibility, team defense. During Wagner's season with the Crusaders, their defense recorded the highest fielding percentage in the program’s history, the team posted their highest winning percentage in over a decade, and Holy Cross qualified for the Patriot League tournament for the first time since 2003. At the end of the season, five players earned All-Patriot League honors, and one was named NFCA All-Region (Second Team).
As a coach that promotes a healthy balance between academics and athletics at the collegiate level, 83 of his students have earned NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors (an award given annually to athletes making a 3.5 GPA or higher), with seven being named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District, and one earning a spot on the Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-American Team (Second Team).
Before collegiate coaching, Wagner was a high school teacher and coached high school and summer fastpitch in Pinellas County, Florida, one of the country's premier high school softball counties.
Wagner holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wittenberg University and a Master's in Coaching Education from Ohio University. At Wittenberg, he was a member of the Tigers' baseball program.
Wagner is married to his wife, Chelsea; they have a son Aiden, and a dog Archer.
What They're Saying About Luke Wagner:
Chris Kuhlmeyer, head softball coach, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
"Luke is a perfect choice to lead Goshen softball! He has the drive and experience to make the Maple Leafs one of the top NAIA programs in the country. I'm very excited for Luke and his family as they embark on this new adventure!"
Brian Claypool, assistant softball coach, University of Massachusetts Lowell
"Coach Wagner is a true educator and cares about the entire student-athlete experience for the women he coaches. On the field, he finds creative ways to teach the game and enhance game performance. Off the field, Coach Wagner emphasizes academic excellence and has an innate ability to bolster the confidence of his players for success in their futures beyond college softball. I'm excited to follow the future of Goshen softball."
