Marty McDaniel recently completed his seventh season at the helm of the Armstrong Atlantic State University softball program. McDaniel put together the Pirates' inaugural 1998 squad as AASU fielded a varsity fastpitch softball squad for the first time. In just seven seasons, McDaniel has built a program that captured its first Peach Belt Conference championship, earned four NCAA Regional berths and achieved a No. 1 ranking in the NFCA Coaches' Top 25 poll during the 2000 season.

This past season, the Pirates advanced to the 2004 South Atlantic region, thanks to four All-America performances. Senior Katya Eronina earned first-team All-America honors for the second straight year, rewriting the single season PBC and AASU record book with an outstanding season. Senior Stacey Richardson earned second-team All-America honors, along with senior catcher Kissy Stepanova. Junior second baseman Stacy Oliver earned third-team All-America honors.

The 2003 campaign saw the Pirates ride the pitching of first-team NFCA All-America Katya Eronina, the NCAA Division II leader in ERA, to the NCAA South Atlantic Region final. A 41-13 season and a No. 16 final ranking.

In 2002, McDaniel coached two NFCA Division II All-Americans - pitcher Annie Sells and Richardson - and led the Pirates to the No. 2 seed in the NCAA DII South Atlantic Region and a final No. 16 national ranking. The Pirates' 40-7 record was the best won-lost record in the nation last season and Richardson was the NCAA's DII home run champion with a school-record 16 home runs.

McDaniel joined the AASU coaching ranks from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he served for three seasons as assistant coach to Ralph Weekly, the Mocs' head coach and an U.S. Olympic Assistant Coach. During that time, Chattanooga won three Southern Conference Championships.

A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., McDaniel received his Bachelor's of Science degree from Carson Newman College in 1989 and also assisted the baseball team as a coach for two seasons. A top-rated pitcher himself, McDaniel has played men's fastpitch for over 15 years and has made numerous All-Region squads.

McDaniel and his wife, the former Kelly Stewart, currently reside in Savannah.