Milligan looks to continue Herman's success

Sky-high expectations. A heart-breaking extra-inning loss in the playoffs to end last season. A new coach who is expected not only to match, but exceed prior success. Sound familiar? No, I'm not referring to the Red Sox, but rather to our own Jumbo softball team, and its new coach Cheryl Milligan.

After 16 seasons as coach, including seven consecutive NCAA tournament berths, former coach Kris Herman departed this off-season for Williams. Milligan was a natural replacement choice. After playing softball for four seasons at Tufts, she graduated from in 1995 and returned in 1997 to become an assistant coach.

"It has been a pretty easy transition," senior tri-captain Deana Davidian said. "It was initially hard because our previous coach went to our biggest division rival. But we all really respect Coach Milligan as a person and her knowledge of the game."

"We are totally psyched about this season," junior Courtney Bongiolatti added. "We've been confident in Coach Milligan from day one, and she was our number one choice to replace Coach Herman."

Milligan takes over a team that has won three consecutive NESCAC Championships, and will be expected to continue this streak. Whereas some would find such expectations stifling, Milligan relishes this role.

"Winning the NESCAC is expected for us," Milligan said. "If we didn't win, I think both the team and I would be very disappointed. I'm a new coach and I'm expected to win. Sure there is pressure but if there wasn't pressure, it wouldn't be fun. I don't feel the pressure any more than my players do."

Milligan is no stranger to accomplishment. She started at shortstop every game during her Tufts career, compiling a .377 career batting average along the way. She has had success as well as an assistant by making the NCAA tournament every year since she joined the coaching ranks.

This season begins a new era for Tufts softball. The team has almost never successfully existed without Herman, yet Milligan has been an integral part of this group for over a decade, and is in a unique position to carry on the legacy that has been passed to her.

"We're a successful program," Milligan said. "I'm going to make changes, but there is no real need to change anything drastic. Tufts softball is still Tufts softball, especially because I've been here coaching for seven years. I have a good idea what works here, I have ideas of what to change, and now I have the ability to change them."