The Coaching Staff

Steffany Bender enters her eighth season as head coach of the Dartmouth softball team. She reached new heights the past three seasons, guiding the Big Green to an 81-54 overall record and two runner-up finishes at the ECAC Championships. The Big Green was second in the Ivy League in 2000 and third in 2001. Bender joined the Dartmouth athletic department staff in July, 1995.

Bender, a 1990 graduate of Princeton who was a standout in the powerful Tiger program, came to Dartmouth from Boston College, where she was an assistant coach from 1990-1995. In addition to her duties with the Eagle softball program, Bender also graduated Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in May, 1993. Her other coaching experience includes the Nike Softball Camp at Dartmouth College during the summer of 1997 along with a number of summer camps.

A four-year letterwinner at Princeton, Bender was a member of three Ivy League championship softball teams and captained the Tigers her senior year. She was a two-time All-Ivy League outfielder, and also earned regional All-America honors in 1990. In addition to her onfield success, Bender was named third team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America as a senior.

Bender came to the Dartmouth softball program during the Big Green's transition to a fully funded varsity program. She replaced Hank Tenney, who served as head coach for several seasons while the program was still a club team and again in 1995 when the team officially joined the varsity ranks at the College.

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Assistant Coach Keri O'Meara

Keri O'Meara enters her second season with the Big Green as Steffany Bender's top assistant. O'Meara works primarily with the Big Green outfielders. She also helps with the Big Green hitters and handles a share of the recruiting duties.

O'Meara joined the Big Green staff after a successful two years at Bloomsburg University as a graduate assistant softball and soccer coach. She worked with both the infield and outfield and also organized alumni events, fundraising and camps. O'Meara also planned and conducted on-field sessions as well as individual practices with team members.

Prior to her stint at Bloomsburg, O'Meara was the head softball coach at West Essex Regional School District and also assisted with the basketball and soccer programs.

O'Meara played softball at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She was a NCAA Division III All-America selection in 1994 and was Montclair's representative for NCAA Woman of the Year.

She also excelled on the soccer field and was named the NJAC goalkeeper of the year in 1995 and won the Coaches Award in 1993.

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BILL OLNEY Pitching Coach

Bill Olney enters his eighth season with the Dartmouth College softball program, bringing a vast amount of experience to the Big Green pitching staff. Most recently, Olney was a member of the Snap-On Tools team in the Lowell (Mass.) Softball League. In 1994, he led the team to a fourth-place finish at the ASA national tournament. He was honored later that year as a first team All-American.

Olney began his pitching career with Mt. Holly in Ludlow, Vt. After pitching in every game for his team in 1963, Olney joined the Air Force. He completed his tour at the Air Force with a 40-8 record while leading the Travis Air Force Base of Fairfield, Calif. to the Military Air Transport championship in 1964. Olney is a 1973 graduate of Castleton State.