Bridget Orchard
{{short description|American softball coach}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Bridget Orchard
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_title = Head coach
| current_team = Villanova
| current_conference = Big East
| current_record =
| contract =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Villanova
| player_years1 = 1994–1997
| player_team1 = Villanova
| player_positions = Second Baseman
| coach_years1 = 1998–2001
| coach_team1 = Cabrini
| coach_years2 = 2002–2018
| coach_team2 = Fordham
| coach_years3 = 2019–present
| coach_team3 = Villanova
| overall_record = {{winpct|864|495|3|record=y}}
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = {{winpct|8|20|record=y}}
| championships =
- 4x CSAC regular season (1998–2001)
- 2x CSAC tournament (2000, 2001)
- 5x A-10 regular season (2005, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017)
- 7x A-10 tournament (2011, 2013–2018)
- 2x Big East tournament (2021, 2022)
| awards =
- 3× CSAC Coach of the Year (1998, 2000, 2001)
- 6× A-10 Coach of the Year (2005, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017)
| coaching_records =
}}
Bridget Orchard (née Baxter){{cite web|url=https://cabriniathletics.com/sports/2012/7/9/SB_0709122130.aspx?id=807|title=Softball Year-By-Year Records|website=Cabrini University Athletics}} is an American softball coach who is currently the head coach at Villanova.{{cite web|url=https://villanova.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/bridget-orchard/4015|title=Bridget Orchard - Softball Coach|website=Villanova University}} From 1998 until 2001, she was the head coach at NCAA Division III Cabrini. From 2001 until 2018, she was the head coach at Fordham.{{cite web|url=https://cabriniathletics.com/honors/hall-of-fame/bridget-orchard/29|title=Bridget Orchard (2013) - Hall of Fame|website=Cabrini University Athletics}}
Coaching career
=Cabrini=
After graduating from Villanova University in 1997, Orchard was hired by Cabrini University to serve as the school's softball coach. Orchard immediately turned the program around, providing the school with its first ever winning season in 1998. The team would continue to improve their record each year in the four seasons under Orchard, ultimately winning four regular season titles and two conference tournament titles. The 2001 team set a record for most wins in a season in program history.{{cite web|url=https://csacsports.com/documents/2015/8/27/SB_Record_Book.pdf|title=SB Record Book (PDF) - CSAC|website=csacsports.com}}
At the end of the 2001 season, Orchard was named head coach at Fordham.{{cite web|url=https://fordhamsports.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/bridget-orchard/618|title=Bridget Orchard - Softball Coach|website=Fordham University Athletics}}
=Fordham=
In a similar situation to what she had faced at Cabrini, Fordham had failed to achieve a single winning season prior to her hiring.https://static.fordhamsports.com/custompages/stats/sball/SB%20Record%20Book.pdf The 2002 season would prove to be Orchard's only losing season as coach at Fordham, turning the program into a dynasty in the Atlantic 10.{{cite web|url=https://fordhamobserver.com/62266/recent/sports-and-health/fordham-softball-sweeps-umass-to-begin-a10-conference-play/|title=Fordham Softball Sweeps UMass to Begin A10 Conference Play|first=PATRICK|last=MOQUIN}} Under Orchard's watch, the program won five regular season titles, seven conference tournament championships, and appeared in the NCAA Division I softball tournament eight times.{{cite web|url=https://www.pressconnects.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/09/09/villanovas-paige-rauch-bridget-orchard-return-home-play-bearcats-softball-binghamton-university-ncaa/2255377001/|title=College Softball: Villanova's Rauch, Orchard enjoy homecoming at BU|first=Rob|last=Centorani|website=Press & Sun-Bulletin}} In the 2010 and 2015 tournaments, Fordham advanced to the Regional Finals before being eliminated from the tournament, the best postseason performances in program history.{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2010/05/24/city-college-softball-teams-have-unprecedented-success/|title=City college softball teams have unprecedented success|first1=Marc|last1=Raimondi|date=May 24, 2010}}
On June 1, 2018, Orchard resigned from her position of head coach at Fordham.{{cite web|url=https://news.fordham.edu/athletics/orchard-resigns-as-fordham-softball-head-coach/|title=Orchard Resigns as Fordham Softball Head Coach|date=June 1, 2018|website=Fordham Newsroom}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wicz.com/story/38328960/binghamton-alum-bridget-orchard-named-softball-head-coach-at-villanova|title=Binghamton Alum Bridget Orchard Named Softball Head Coach At Villanova|website=www.wicz.com}}
=Villanova=
On the same day of her resignation at Fordham, Orchard was hired at her alma mater, Villanova, as head coach.{{cite web|url=https://wnbf.com/binghamton-high-grad-named-villanova-softball-coach/|title=Bridget Baxter Orchard Named Villanova Head Softball Coach|first=Roger|last=Neel|website=WNBF News Radio 1290|date=6 June 2018 }}{{cite web|url=https://justinsworldsb.com/villanova-hires-bridget-orchard-as-head-coach/|title=Villanova hires Bridget Orchard as head coach|date=June 1, 2018}} In 2021, the Wildcats won the Big East Conference softball tournament for the first time in program history, defeating UConn in two straight games.{{cite web|url=https://villanova.com/news/2021/5/16/softball-headed-to-arizona-will-play-ole-miss-in-first-ever-ncaa-tournament-game.aspx|title=Softball Headed to Arizona, Will Play Ole Miss in First-Ever NCAA Tournament Game|website=Villanova University|date=16 May 2021 }} The team advanced to the NCAA Division I softball tournament for the first time in program history, managing to defeat UMBC before being eliminated from the tournament by Ole Miss.{{cite web|url=https://phillycollegesports.com/2021/05/23/villanova-wins-a-thriller-over-umbc-in-ncaa-softball-tournament/|title=Villanova Wins A Thriller Over UMBC in NCAA Softball Tournament – Philly College Sports|website=phillycollegesports.com|date=23 May 2021 }}
Head coaching record
{{CBB yearly record start | type =coach | conference = | postseason= }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Cabrini Cavaliers
| conference = Colonial States Athletic Conference
| startyear = 1998
| endyear = 2001
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1998
| name = Cabrini
| overall = 22–14–1
| conference = 13–3
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1999
| name = Cabrini
| overall = 26–14–1
| conference = 17–3
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 2000
| name = Cabrini
| overall = 39–9
| conference = 21–1
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA DIII Tournament
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 2001
| name = Cabrini
| overall = 42–5
| conference = 21–1
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA DIII Tournament
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = Cabrini
| overall = {{winpct|129|42|2|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|72|8|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Fordham Rams
| conference = Atlantic 10 Conference
| startyear = 2002
| endyear = 2018
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2002
| name = Fordham
| overall = 14–43
| conference = 3–18
| confstanding = T–7th
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2003
| name = Fordham
| overall = 37–19
| conference = 10–6
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2004
| name = Fordham
| overall = 35–24–1
| conference = 8–6
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 2005
| name = Fordham
| overall = 38–16
| conference = 15–1
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2006
| name = Fordham
| overall = 37–23
| conference = 13–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2007
| name = Fordham
| overall = 39–20
| conference = 16–4
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2008
| name = Fordham
| overall = 36–30
| conference = 11–9
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2009
| name = Fordham
| overall = 37–22
| conference = 13–7
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2010
| name = Fordham
| overall = 49–12
| conference = 16–2
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 2011
| name = Fordham
| overall = 42–18
| conference = 16–4
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2012
| name = Fordham
| overall = 32–26
| conference = 14–6
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season = 2013
| name = Fordham
| overall = 36–23
| conference = 15–7
| confstanding = T–2nd
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 2014
| name = Fordham
| overall = 36–20
| conference = 13–3
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season = 2015
| name = Fordham
| overall = 38–20
| conference = 17–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 2016
| name = Fordham
| overall = 39–21
| conference = 18–4
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 2017
| name = Fordham
| overall = 46–17
| conference = 18–5
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season = 2018
| name = Fordham
| overall = 33–23
| conference = 18–4
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = Fordham
| overall = {{winpct|624|377|1|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|234|96|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Villanova Wildcats
| conference = Big East Conference
| startyear = 2019
| endyear =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2019
| name = Villanova
| overall = 29–24
| conference = 9–8
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2020
| name = Villanova
| overall = 14–13
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding = N/A
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}} Season cut short due to COVID-19 Pandemic
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season = 2021
| name = Villanova
| overall = 36–14
| conference = 15–2
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season = 2022
| name = Villanova
| overall = 32–24
| conference = 16–7
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason = NCAA Regionals
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2023
| name = Villanova
| overall = 37–22
| conference = 18–6
| confstanding = T–2nd
| postseason =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = Villanova
| overall = {{winpct|148|97|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|58|23|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = 901–517–3 ({{Winning percentage|901|517|3}})
| confrecord =
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Big East Conference softball coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orchard, Bridget}}
Category:American female sports coaches
Category:American softball coaches
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Fordham Rams softball coaches