Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro spent the past two seasons as the head coach at Memphis and will take over the development of Florida's pitching staff.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida softball head coach Tim Walton announced Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro (Van-BREAK-ull PRO-throw) as the program's newest assistant coach Wednesday afternoon. Prothro takes over the duties of developing UF's pitching staff.
"We're extremely excited to add Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro to our coaching staff." Walton said. "Stephanie brings with her the highest level of championship experience as a coach and as a player. Having someone to lead our pitchers who has toed the rubber in Oklahoma City at the Women's College World Series provides a unique opportunity for the Gators. We're looking to build off last season's success and coach Steph's competitiveness as well as her experience in developing All-Americans in the circle will be a huge piece to the process. We can't wait to have Stephanie, her husband Quinton and their family join the Gator family."
Prothro comes to the Gators after a two-year stint as the head coach of the Memphis softball program and spent the prior 12 years at Alabama as the pitching coach. In Tuscaloosa, Prothro assisted the Crimson Tide in winning the 2012 NCAA Championship in addition to three Southeastern Conference Regular Season Championships and two SEC Tournament Championships.
"I am grateful to Coach Walton and the Gator family for welcoming me and my family with open arms." Prothro said. "As a former assistant at Alabama, I am familiar with Florida's championship tradition and the standard that this program strives to uphold year after year. Coach Walton has done a tremendous job to build a program that consistently competes for championships, and I'm honored to be a part of it. The pitching staff achieved a lot of great things last year and I am looking forward to building off that experience. I can't wait to contribute my own experiences and knowledge to the bullpen and help build on the Gators' success."
During her time as the pitching coach at Alabama, Prothro oversaw the development of National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans Montana Fouts, Alexis Osorio, Sydney Littlejohn and Jaclyn Traina. The talented group garnered a total of nine All-American awards, in addition to numerous other accomplishments, under Prothro during their careers.
The list of lengthy accolades that pitchers acquired under the tutelage of Prothro also includes four SEC Pitcher of the Year winners, a pair of SEC Freshman of the Year awards, 11 All-SEC selections, two All-SEC Freshman Team members and an NFCA National Pitcher of the Year that Fouts took home in 2021. Fouts won softball's 2023 Honda Award.
Prothro's pitching staffs also set records at Alabama as the 2017 staff of Osorio, Littlejohn and Madi Moore set single-season records for shutouts (27), fewest hits allowed (250) and lowest opponent batting average (.164), while her 2021 staff of Fouts, Kilfoyl, 2019 SEC Pitcher of the Year Sarah Cornell, Jaala Torrence and Krystal Goodman set the single-season record for most strikeouts per seven inning game (9.66).
Prior to her return as an assistant coach in Tuscaloosa, Prothro also served as the head coach at Samford during the 2011 season and at Birmingham Southern in 2009 and 2010, after she was elevated from being an assistant coach on the staff in 2008.
Prothro played for the Crimson Tide from 2003-06 and helped lead the program to a pair of SEC Tournament championships in 2003 and 2005, in addition to Alabama's first SEC Regular Season title in 2006. She earned SEC Tournament MVP honors in 2005 and was the 2006 SEC Pitcher of the Year.
While playing for Alabama, the program made an NCAA Regional all four years and Super Regionals twice after the format was adopted in 2005, as well as three NCAA College World Series appearances (2003, 2005, 2006).
A native of Chambersburg, Pa., Prothro was named an NFCA Second Team All-American in 2005 and 2006. She was also named the 2006 SEC Pitcher of the Year and was USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist. She also was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll four of her years at Alabama.
Prothro's other playing honors included 2003 Region VIII Tournament MVP, NFCA All-South Region in 2003, 2005 and 2006. She also earned all-conference honors each of her four years at Alabama and was named the 2003 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Prothro earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Alabama in 2007 and her Master of Arts from Alabama in 2020. She and her husband, Quintin Prothro, have a son, Julian, and a step-daughter, Skylar.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida softball head coach Tim Walton announced Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro (Van-BREAK-ull PRO-throw) as the program's newest assistant coach Wednesday afternoon. Prothro takes over the duties of developing UF's pitching staff.
"We're extremely excited to add Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro to our coaching staff." Walton said. "Stephanie brings with her the highest level of championship experience as a coach and as a player. Having someone to lead our pitchers who has toed the rubber in Oklahoma City at the Women's College World Series provides a unique opportunity for the Gators. We're looking to build off last season's success and coach Steph's competitiveness as well as her experience in developing All-Americans in the circle will be a huge piece to the process. We can't wait to have Stephanie, her husband Quinton and their family join the Gator family."
Prothro comes to the Gators after a two-year stint as the head coach of the Memphis softball program and spent the prior 12 years at Alabama as the pitching coach. In Tuscaloosa, Prothro assisted the Crimson Tide in winning the 2012 NCAA Championship in addition to three Southeastern Conference Regular Season Championships and two SEC Tournament Championships.
"I am grateful to Coach Walton and the Gator family for welcoming me and my family with open arms." Prothro said. "As a former assistant at Alabama, I am familiar with Florida's championship tradition and the standard that this program strives to uphold year after year. Coach Walton has done a tremendous job to build a program that consistently competes for championships, and I'm honored to be a part of it. The pitching staff achieved a lot of great things last year and I am looking forward to building off that experience. I can't wait to contribute my own experiences and knowledge to the bullpen and help build on the Gators' success."
During her time as the pitching coach at Alabama, Prothro oversaw the development of National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans Montana Fouts, Alexis Osorio, Sydney Littlejohn and Jaclyn Traina. The talented group garnered a total of nine All-American awards, in addition to numerous other accomplishments, under Prothro during their careers.
The list of lengthy accolades that pitchers acquired under the tutelage of Prothro also includes four SEC Pitcher of the Year winners, a pair of SEC Freshman of the Year awards, 11 All-SEC selections, two All-SEC Freshman Team members and an NFCA National Pitcher of the Year that Fouts took home in 2021. Fouts won softball's 2023 Honda Award.
Prothro's pitching staffs also set records at Alabama as the 2017 staff of Osorio, Littlejohn and Madi Moore set single-season records for shutouts (27), fewest hits allowed (250) and lowest opponent batting average (.164), while her 2021 staff of Fouts, Kilfoyl, 2019 SEC Pitcher of the Year Sarah Cornell, Jaala Torrence and Krystal Goodman set the single-season record for most strikeouts per seven inning game (9.66).
Prior to her return as an assistant coach in Tuscaloosa, Prothro also served as the head coach at Samford during the 2011 season and at Birmingham Southern in 2009 and 2010, after she was elevated from being an assistant coach on the staff in 2008.
Prothro played for the Crimson Tide from 2003-06 and helped lead the program to a pair of SEC Tournament championships in 2003 and 2005, in addition to Alabama's first SEC Regular Season title in 2006. She earned SEC Tournament MVP honors in 2005 and was the 2006 SEC Pitcher of the Year.
While playing for Alabama, the program made an NCAA Regional all four years and Super Regionals twice after the format was adopted in 2005, as well as three NCAA College World Series appearances (2003, 2005, 2006).
A native of Chambersburg, Pa., Prothro was named an NFCA Second Team All-American in 2005 and 2006. She was also named the 2006 SEC Pitcher of the Year and was USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist. She also was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll four of her years at Alabama.
Prothro's other playing honors included 2003 Region VIII Tournament MVP, NFCA All-South Region in 2003, 2005 and 2006. She also earned all-conference honors each of her four years at Alabama and was named the 2003 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Prothro earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Alabama in 2007 and her Master of Arts from Alabama in 2020. She and her husband, Quintin Prothro, have a son, Julian, and a step-daughter, Skylar.
