Amanda Haverman enters her third season as the pitching coach for the Dolphins ahead of the 2021-22 season and fifth overall with program during her coaching tenure. Since her return to JU, the pitching staff has become one of the premiere units in the ASUN Conference, posting a 2.06 ERA over the past two seasons, an improvement of nearly a full run and a half prior to her arrival.
In 2021, Haverman guided the Dolphins' pitching staff to an ASUN-leading 1.93 ERA, as JU surrendered just 112 runs in 49 games played. JU's 2021 team ERA is the second-lowest mark for a season in program history, trailing only the 2011 club that posted a 1.48 ERA. Ace Alyssa Bilodeau was named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team and was a Second Team All-ASUN selection in 2021, winning 14 games and leading the conference in strikeouts (178) and earned run average (1.39). She worked a no-hitter in the season opener as the Dolphins downed Power Five opponent Boston College 4-0. As a team, Jacksonville recorded 248 strikeouts and issued 95 walks while holding opponents to a .239 batting average.
During the abbreviated 2020 season, the Dolphins posted a 2.29 ERA and struck out 203 batters in 174 innings of work while issuing just 64 free passes. Seana Mora led the staff with a 1.22 ERA while Alyssa Bilodeau recorded eight wins and led the staff with 111 strikeouts. The staff held opponents to a .208 batting average, an improvement of more than sixty points from the 2019 season.
Prior to her return to Duval, Haverman led the pitching staff as an assistant coach at Florida Tech for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. During that time, FIT finished 74-33 in two seasons, ranked as high as #4 in the NFCA Division II poll, and were crowned 2019 Sunshine State Conference Champions. Haverman's pitching staff ranked in the top 15 nationally in team ERA twice (6th – 2018; 12th – 2019), individual ERA (6th – 2018), and shutouts (tied for 9th – 2018). Additionally, Panther pitchers garnered a pair of DII Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week awards, three SSC Pitcher of the Week honors, two All-SSC awards, two NFCA All-South Region accolades, two D2CCA All-South Region honors, and one NFCA Third Team All-American.
"I've had the privilege of working with Amanda in the past and am thrilled she's decided to return to Jacksonville. I know she will bring a tremendous amount of energy and passion from the jump. She's done an incredible job with the pitching staff at Florida Tech the last two years and I can't wait to see the impact she has on our staff," noted Ayers.
Previously on staff as a graduate assistant for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Haverman worked closely with Ayers – who was then an assistant under Jen Steele – to improve the Dolphins' batting average from .256 in 2014 to .284 in her first season in the dugout. The team also broke the program's single-season record with 77 stolen bases (2015), hit 10 more homeruns than the previous year, and improved its fielding percentage from .944 to .958 during her tenure. Haverman oversaw the academic and athletic development that led to one NFCA Third Team All-South Region, six All-ASUN selections, one ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and 26 ASUN All-Academic Team selections.
"I am so excited to be returning to Jacksonville University! I would like to thank [head coach] Erica Ayers, [Senior Vice President/Athletic Director] Alex Ricker-Gilbert, [Deputy Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator] Lauren Cevis, [Associate Athletic Director for Marketing] Whitney Curtis and the rest of the JU staff for this opportunity," noted Haverman. "Jacksonville offers an outstanding platform for student-athletes to be successful not only on the field, but in the classroom and in their futures. I am humbled and very appreciative for the chance to be a part of the JU Family again."
Haverman previously served as an assistant coach at Norfolk State University (2010-14) and Virginia Intermont College (2008-10) prior to her first stint at JU.
During her time in Virginia, Haverman's student-athletes combined for six conference tournament appearances (2 AAC, 4 MEAC) and conference tournament championship appearances with both the Cobras (2010) and Spartans (2013). Over two stops, Haverman has led her players to 20 All-Conference Awards (15 All-MEAC, 5 All-AAC), two Conference Players of the Year (1 AAC, 1 MEAC), and helped both teams rank nationally in home runs per game (16th – 2010 with VIC), team batting average (10th – 2013 with NSU), and doubles per game (11th – 2013 with NSU).
Haverman's impact at Norfolk State continued as her players recorded a four-year batting average of .301 and broke several records, including the single-season home run mark (36 – 2014) and set or tied 23 different program hitting records in 2013. Additionally, 16 student-athletes were placed on the MEAC All-Academic Team.
A 2008 graduate of East Tennessee State, where she earned her bachelor's degree in sport management with a minor in management, Haverman was a four-year letter winner, two-time ASUN Conference All-Academic Team selection, and was named to the 2007 All-ASUN First Team as a designated player. She graduated from ETSU as the program's single-season leader in RBI (37) and tied the program's record with four hits in a single game.
A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and the Alliance of Women Coaches, Haverman earned her master's degree in leadership and learning from JU in 2016. A native of Kirkwood, Missouri, she was part of Kirkwood High School's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2009.
