PISCATAWAY, N.J. (July 16, 2018) – New Rutgers softball head coach Kristen Butler announced today that her assistant coaching staff at Toledo, Rod Radcliffe and Brandon Duncan, will reunite in Piscataway for her first season with the Scarlet Knights.
 
The trio earned 2018 Mid-American Conference Coaching Staff of the Year honors following a 30-win season at Toledo for the first time in more than 20 years. Radcliffe spent four seasons with Butler at Toledo and will continue his primary work with outfielders and hitters at Rutgers, while serving as first base coach in-game. Duncan completed his second year on Butler's staff in 2018 and specializes in pitching and slap hitting.
 
"I could not be more excited and humbled that Rod and Brandon want to join me here at Rutgers," Butler said. "I truly believe that it takes a successful staff to build a successful team. My staff at Toledo was an integral part to our success.
Rod and Brandon's coaching strengths are going to be assets here at Rutgers. I am looking forward to taking this journey with them."
 
Radcliffe, a former head coach at Bethel University in Minnesota, has been touted for helping the Rockets increase their total doubles, home runs, stolen bases and fielding percentage.
 
"I want to thank Patrick Hobbs and Coach Butler for the opportunity to be a part of Rutgers Softball," Radcliffe said. "The Big Ten is a great conference both athletically and academically. Enjoying the journey as the team creates a winning atmosphere is our vision."
 
Over the course of his time at Bethel, Radcliffe amassed 223 wins while producing two NFCA All-Americans and 25 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honorees. He holds the program record for wins, conference winning percentage and winning streak in a single season.
 
The 2013 MIAC Coach of the Year, Radcliffe took Bethel to the postseason in five of his final seven seasons, including back-to-back championship game appearances in 2013 and 2014. Also in 2013, Radcliffe's Royals set a Bethel record with 27 wins.
 
Radcliffe also was the head softball coach for the United States Team for Competitive Edge International in Thailand and Laos in 2003, 2005 and 2008, and in Myanmar in 2011. Prior to his time at Bethel, Radcliffe had stints as a coach at Ackley-Geneva (IA) High School, Hampton-Dumont (IA) High School and Ellsworth (IA) Community College.
 
Radcliffe and his wife Julie have three children: Adam, Tyler and Koby.
 
Duncan was an assistant coach alongside Butler at Charleston Southern in 2014, and signed on to her staff at Toledo in 2017. A college softball coach since 2004, Duncan guided the Toledo pitching staff to five MAC West Pitcher of the Week honors in 2018.
 
"I am thrilled to be joining the Rutgers community," Duncan said. "I am extremely thankful for Coach Butler and her belief in me as a coach and I look forward to assisting her in building a championship culture. AD Pat Hobbs has an incredible vision for this department and I'm excited to be a part of it. It is an exciting time to be at Rutgers and I can't wait to get started."
 
Duncan coached at Charleston Southern University from 2014-16 and mentored a Big South Conference All-Freshman Team selection, CSU's single season strikeouts record holder, and a unanimous Big South All-Tournament Team pick.
 
From 2011-14, Duncan was an assistant coach at Samford University and coached two players to all-conference honors. Samford had two no-hitters in 2013, which marks the first time two Samford pitchers accomplished that in a single season.
 
The Abbeville, SC native was the head coach at Lander University for the 2007-11 seasons. In his four seasons as head coach, Duncan's teams increased their win total each season. He coached five all-conference players in his last three seasons.
 
Prior to his time at Lander, Duncan was an assistant coach at the University of Virginia from 2006-07 and an assistant coach at Georgia Tech from 2004-06. During the 2005 and 2006 seasons at Georgia Tech, Duncan helped guide the Yellow Jackets to an 89-36 overall record, including two NCAA regional tournament appearances. In 2005, he assisted the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament champions to a 16^th place national ranking with a 1.49 ERA. Duncan was also responsible for coaching an ACC Pitcher of the Year.
 
Duncan graduated from Alabama in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in history and also worked as a student manager for the Crimson Tide softball program.
 
Practicing what he preaches, Duncan has pitched for the Northern Merchants, a men's fastpitch team in Utica, NY. In 2001, he toured Asia with "The King and His Court" (four-man softball team) and was the team's featured pitcher. Duncan also pitched for the Spartanburg Stars from 1996-2004, helping the team to three NSA World Series appearances.
 
 
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