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VWU Head Softball Coach Honored by Norfolk Sports Club
Brandon Elliott receives the prestigious Tom Fergusson Memorial Award
News Release | February 28, 2018
Virginia Wesleyan Head Women's Softball Coach Brandon Elliott has been awarded the prestigious Tom Fergusson Memorial Award from the Norfolk Sports Club. The award was presented at the Club’s 73rd Annual Jamboree on Thursday, February 22, 2018, at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott.
“Incredibly deserving of this honor, Brandon is just off a national record 54-win season, a stellar 54-and-3 overall mark, and an NCAA National Softball Championship,” said VWU President Scott D. Miller, who presented the award during the event. “His coaching staff won the NFCA award for the top coaching staff in the country, and he returns this year the National Pitcher of the Year—also the National Player of the Year—who went 32-and-3...as a freshman. As the team entered play this year, Virginia Wesleyan softball was ranked No. 1 in the country—the third season in a row the Marlins have reached that ranking during the regular season.”
A 2003 graduate of Virginia Wesleyan, Elliott was a four-year member of the Marlins baseball team and served as team captain his senior year. After a year away while earning his master’s in sports management from California University of Pennsylvania, he returned “home” to his alma mater to work in enrollment. Now after 10 years at the helm as head coach, he finished the 2017 season as the most successful coach in program history with a 353-100 record. His teams have made six NCAA appearances, have won five ODAC Championships, and have fielded 11 All-Americans.
“Brandon has a rare fire in him,” continued Miller. “His success on the field stems from his winning personality and his fundamental love for all those around him—be it his family, his friends, or his team. He has a vibrant energy, a super-sized “can-do” attitude, and he commands positivity, regardless of any challenges in his path.”
In 2008, Elliott’s mother Elaine, his biggest fan, lost a hard-fought battle with cancer. This loss shook him to his core, but he did what his mom taught him to do when life knocks you down. He got up, dusted himself off, and charged ahead. Reflecting on his own painful loss, as well as the impact cancer has on countless families, Elliott resolved to do more.
This determination led to his organization of an annual “Strike Out Cancer” fundraising event at Virginia Wesleyan, which is now coordinated annually by the VWU softball program. In 2017, during its ninth year, Strike Out Cancer surpassed $100,000 raised for the American Cancer Society and cancer research, a true testament to Brandon’s strength and character. He believes deeply that the best way to honor his mother is to put others first.
In addition, Elliott has faced several additional personal challenges in recent years. His wife, Laura (Mills) Elliott, a 2005 Virginia Wesleyan graduate, fought kidney disease and underwent two kidney transplants. His son, Cooper, was born two months prematurely. Support from his family, friends and team—along with his fighting spirit—helped keep him centered in the face of this adversity. Each day was a step in the right direction, and in true Elliott fashion, he maintained a “We got this!” attitude, refusing to let the slightest negative thought or bad report halt their forward progress as a family. Today, the whole Elliott family is healthy and happy.
According to Miller, “Brandon drives his players to be better people, and not just better softball players. He teaches them to “out-love” their opponents, not just out-play them. He helps them see the bigger picture. But most importantly, he teaches them to pick themselves up and get ready for the next challenge.”