Wingate Promotes Caddigan, Nash to Assistant AD Positions

Wingate, N.C. -- Wingate University vice-president and director of athletics Steve Poston announces two promotions within the University's athletic department. Michelle Caddigan has been promoted to Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), while Bill Nash will also serve as an Assistant Athletic Director. Both Caddigan and Nash will remain head softball coach and head baseball coach, respectively.

Caddigan won her 300th game in March of 2006 against the University of Indianapolis. In 10 Wingate seasons, Caddigan has compiled a 336-160-2 overall record. The Bulldog softball team had numerous accomplishments during the 2006 season, on and off the field. The Bulldogs set a new school single-season win record with a 47-11 overall ledger. The 47 wins included two victories in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament.

Caddigan has guided the Wingate program to one SAC regular season championship (1999), five second-place finishes, three third-place finishes and three conference tournament titles (1999, 2003 and 2006) during her 10-year Wingate coaching career. She has coached 11 NCAA Division II All-South Atlantic Region selections and 51 All-SAC performers.

Michelle Caddigan

Bill Nash

Numerous Bulldogs have earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III honors over the years. Most recently, Mandi Chester, Sarah Carleton, Megan McPhail, Grace Cunningham, Ashley Green and Courtney Wagner were listed on the 2006 district team. Caddigan has coached two ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® honorees: Stephanie Kraemer (1999) and Laura Rudnick (2001).

Caddigan earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in K-12 health and physical education from James Madison University in 1990. She earned her Masters of Science from James Madison in Kinesiology with a concentration in Athletic Administration.

While an undergraduate at James Madison, Caddigan was a player coach and president of the school's softball club from 1986-89. During this time, she led the team in batting average, doubles, RBI and fielding percentage. She coached the team from 1990-91. After graduating from JMU, she coached softball at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Va.

Wingate University head baseball coach Bill Nash enters his 14th year at the helm of the Bulldog program in 2007. During his 13 seasons as head coach, Nash has posted a career record of 376-306-2. The Bulldogs have won four South Atlantic Conference regular season titles and four Food Lion SAC tournament titles during Nash's tenure. Wingate's four tournament crowns are the most of any SAC school.

In addition, his Wingate teams have advanced to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships following the 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2001 seasons. In the 1994 and 1995 seasons, Wingate advanced to the championship game of the regional tournament.

In 1995, Nash was named the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year for leading the Bulldogs to a 46-10 record. At the time, the 46 wins were a SAC record. Also, Wingate was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the NCAA Division II poll on April 3, 1995. Nash was named the North Carolina Collegiate Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1995.

Nash has helped keep Wingate University among the premiere programs in the South Atlantic Conference. In his 13 seasons, Nash has 165 SAC wins, the most in SAC history. His .613 winning percentage in SAC games is tops among active coaches and number three on the all-time list.

After earning his AA degree from Wingate, Nash went on to Wake Forest University where he earned his BA degree in Business. He also earned an MHDL from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Following his graduation from Wake Forest, Nash got a job as the baseball and basketball coach at a private school in Wadesboro, N.C., where he served for the next three years.

In 1980, legendary Wingate University baseball coach Ron Christopher hired Nash for the position as assistant baseball coach. During Nash's 11 years as an assistant coach at Wingate, the Bulldogs posted a 259-193 record and made eight NAIA District 26 playoff appearances. After Dr. Christopher retired following the 1993 season, Nash was named the head coach.

As part of her new role, Caddigan will help with specific duties within the athletic administration. She is the top female administrator in Wingate's athletic department. Nash's new duties will focus on the academic success of Wingate's student-athletes. He will work closely with Wingate University's Student Success office.

"Both Michelle and Bill bring a wealth of coaching and administrative experience as our athletic department moves forward. Their insights both as coaches and administrators will be very helpful to us in the future," said Wingate University vice-president and director of athletics Steve Poston.