Vineland native Lisa Costello retired recently after 33 seasons with the Towson University (Maryland) softball program.
Costello finished her career with a record of 857-773-3. The victory total ranked 25th on the active list of collegiate softball coaches. Towson won at least 20 games 26 times under Costello with 10 30-win seasons, including a school-record 42-win campaign in 2018.
Costello was the youngest head softball coach at any college program in the nation at just 26 years of age when she was hired in 1996. She was several years removed from a successful playing career at then-Trenton State College, now known as The College of New Jersey. She graduated from the school in 1990.
She was a standout player at Vineland High, laying the groundwork for a high-level career in college ball and then coaching. Costello began her college career at Iowa in the Big Ten before heading back to the Garden State to play for Trenton State, helping them win two NCAA Division III national championships in 1987 and 1989 where she earned All-America honors.
Costello’s coaching tenure in both the America East Conference and most recently the Coastal Athletic Association took Towson to new heights as a program. The Tigers won a program-best 42 games in 2018 and had 10 30-win seasons and an additional 16 20-win seasons under Costello. Towson won 30 or more games in each season from 1999-2006.
Costello coached four Towson University Athletics Hall of Famers—Jen Weaver, Courtney McClelland, Lisa Pollock, and Mindy Bean. Julia Smith-Harrington was a finalist for the 2020 Senior CLASS Award, given to the NCAA Division I senior student-athletes who excel in four areas: community, classroom, character, and competition.
