OREM, Utah — Utah Valley University softball head coach Nikki Palmer announced the first addition to her coaching staff as Aaron Vail was named assistant coach for the Wolverines.
Vail holds a wealth of experience as a player and a coach in the world of competitive fastpitch softball. Most recently, he served as the head coach of Burnsville High School in his native Minnesota.
"I'm ecstatic to have Aaron on board," Palmer said. "He has a strong background in the men's fastpitch world to go along with many years of experience in the women's game. His enthusiasm and passion for the game is evident from the second you meet him and I know that he will help propel us toward achieving the goals we've set for the upcoming season."
The bulk of Vail's coaching career has been set in Minnesota where he has held head coaching stints at North High School in St. Paul as well as Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount. He was also an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Hamline University, a Division III institution in St. Paul. While at Hamline, Vail helped the Pipers to a 117-73-1 record over four seasons and perennial contention for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.
He has also held coaching positions with various softball clubs throughout the Upper Midwest.
"This is a fantastic opportunity and I'm very thankful to coach Palmer and the UVU staff for bringing me on," Vail said. "This is a program with a lot of recent success and with the new staff, a new athletic director and a new conference, I really think we have a fantastic opportunity to be successful. The sky is the limit for what we can accomplish this season."
Vail was a fastpitch player himself. He served as a player and coach with the Tiger Athletic Club, helping his team to two runner-up finishes in the North American Fastpitch Association World Series and the International Softball Congress World Tournament.
On an individual level, Vail was a three-time Amateur Softball Association of America all-state pick and a three-time NAFA all-state selection. He competed in five ISC World Championships, four ASA Men's National Championships and four NAFA World Series during his playing career.
UVU softball is coming off its most successful Division I season, posting a program-record 35 wins and third place finish in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference. The Wolverines will play a short, fall season, beginning with the Green vs. Black game on Sept. 20, before kicking off their inaugural season in the Western Athletic Conference come spring 2014.
Kellen Hiser is an assistant sports information director at Utah Valley University. For more information on Wolverine athletics, visit WolverineGreen.com.