Photo by: Tyler Kraft/UMBC Athletics
Kuhlmeyer Takes Over Reins Of Mercer Softball Program
6/7/2025 11:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON – Athletics department officials from Mercer University announced Saturday morning that 26-year collegiate coaching veteran Chris Kuhlmeyer has been named the softball program's ninth head coach.
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Kuhlmeyer, who has logged more than 250 victories across head coaching stops at both Belmont and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has led UMBC to three America East Conference regular season championships and four league tournament crowns over the last seven years. The Retrievers have also made four NCAA Tournament appearances under his guidance.
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"Chris Kuhlmeyer possesses all of the characteristics that we were searching for in a new leader for our softball program," said Mercer athletics director Jim Cole. "He has a deep and expansive knowledge of the game, a proven ability to build winning cultures both on the field and in the classroom and a strong commitment to player development. I am thrilled to welcome him to Mercer and am looking forward to the development and growth of our softball program under his watch."
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UMBC amassed nearly 160 victories and four NCAA postseason appearances under Kuhlmeyer's watch. The energetic mentor led the Retrievers on a 12-1/2 game turnaround in just his first season in Baltimore in 2019 as UMBC rattled off a perfect 4-0 run en route to raking in its first America East Tournament title and its first NCAA postseason berth in more than two decades as well. Despite returning just one arm from their 2018 pitching rotation, the Retrievers tallied a 2.81 team earned run average (68th NCAA), while also accumulating the nation's 17th-best shutout total (17).
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The magical run would signal a golden era for the UMBC program which brought home its first America East regular season crown in 2021, while also capturing the second of four-straight America East tournament championships. The Retrievers also bought home the conference's regular season crown to accentuate the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
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"I couldn't be more excited to join the Mercer family and the Bears softball program," Kuhlmeyer said. "I cannot thank Jim Cole, (Deputy AD) Brian Gerrity and (University President) Bill Underwood enough for their confidence and faith in me to guide this program into the future.
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"Mercer Softball has a strong foundation, a lot of positive momentum and a clear vision for success and support of its student-athletes. It did not take long for me to discover how perfect Mercer lined up with my personal and professional goals. I cannot wait to get started and work with our student-athletes and leadership to build this program for the future."
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Kuhlmeyer logged his first stint as a collegiate head coach at Belmont from 2010-16, skippering the Bruins to 96 victories across seven seasons. He mentored five all-conference and a pair of all-region players amid his time in Nashville, while also sending nine student-athletes to National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar Athlete accolades.
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After serving the program as its student manager for four seasons, Kuhlmeyer transitioned into the coaching world as a volunteer assistant coach for LSU during a phenomenal 2000 campaign that saw the Tigers capture the Southeastern Conference championship and fight to within a game of qualifying for the NCAA Women's College World Series. He was a volunteer assistant coach amid a 38-win campaign at Baylor in 2001.
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Kuhlmeyer was in the dugout as a full-time assistant coach at Samford from 2002-06 and played a key coaching role as the Bulldogs amassed 123 wins across five seasons, including a 27-17-1 clip in 2003. He made the move to southeast Kansas in 2007 to be an assistant coach at Wichita State for three years (2007-09). He also has an additional stint as an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
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A native of Pensacola, Fla., Kuhlmeyer earned his bachelor's degree in sports studies from LSU in 1999. He is the proud father of two children, Addison and Jared.Â
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Kuhlmeyer, who has logged more than 250 victories across head coaching stops at both Belmont and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has led UMBC to three America East Conference regular season championships and four league tournament crowns over the last seven years. The Retrievers have also made four NCAA Tournament appearances under his guidance.
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"Chris Kuhlmeyer possesses all of the characteristics that we were searching for in a new leader for our softball program," said Mercer athletics director Jim Cole. "He has a deep and expansive knowledge of the game, a proven ability to build winning cultures both on the field and in the classroom and a strong commitment to player development. I am thrilled to welcome him to Mercer and am looking forward to the development and growth of our softball program under his watch."
Â
UMBC amassed nearly 160 victories and four NCAA postseason appearances under Kuhlmeyer's watch. The energetic mentor led the Retrievers on a 12-1/2 game turnaround in just his first season in Baltimore in 2019 as UMBC rattled off a perfect 4-0 run en route to raking in its first America East Tournament title and its first NCAA postseason berth in more than two decades as well. Despite returning just one arm from their 2018 pitching rotation, the Retrievers tallied a 2.81 team earned run average (68th NCAA), while also accumulating the nation's 17th-best shutout total (17).
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The magical run would signal a golden era for the UMBC program which brought home its first America East regular season crown in 2021, while also capturing the second of four-straight America East tournament championships. The Retrievers also bought home the conference's regular season crown to accentuate the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
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"I couldn't be more excited to join the Mercer family and the Bears softball program," Kuhlmeyer said. "I cannot thank Jim Cole, (Deputy AD) Brian Gerrity and (University President) Bill Underwood enough for their confidence and faith in me to guide this program into the future.
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"Mercer Softball has a strong foundation, a lot of positive momentum and a clear vision for success and support of its student-athletes. It did not take long for me to discover how perfect Mercer lined up with my personal and professional goals. I cannot wait to get started and work with our student-athletes and leadership to build this program for the future."
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Kuhlmeyer logged his first stint as a collegiate head coach at Belmont from 2010-16, skippering the Bruins to 96 victories across seven seasons. He mentored five all-conference and a pair of all-region players amid his time in Nashville, while also sending nine student-athletes to National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar Athlete accolades.
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After serving the program as its student manager for four seasons, Kuhlmeyer transitioned into the coaching world as a volunteer assistant coach for LSU during a phenomenal 2000 campaign that saw the Tigers capture the Southeastern Conference championship and fight to within a game of qualifying for the NCAA Women's College World Series. He was a volunteer assistant coach amid a 38-win campaign at Baylor in 2001.
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Kuhlmeyer was in the dugout as a full-time assistant coach at Samford from 2002-06 and played a key coaching role as the Bulldogs amassed 123 wins across five seasons, including a 27-17-1 clip in 2003. He made the move to southeast Kansas in 2007 to be an assistant coach at Wichita State for three years (2007-09). He also has an additional stint as an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
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A native of Pensacola, Fla., Kuhlmeyer earned his bachelor's degree in sports studies from LSU in 1999. He is the proud father of two children, Addison and Jared.Â
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