Softball coach Steve DePasquale will step down from his position after 32 years of service. He began coaching the Roadrunners in 1996.
After 32 years and more than 900 career wins, Rowan College of South Jersey softball coach Steve DePasquale will step down after the 2026 season.
Known on campus as Coach D, DePasquale was the first leader in the history of softball at the school in 1995, when it was known as Gloucester County College. In his first year coaching the Roadrunners in 1996, DePasquale took the team to a 17-13 record and qualified for the Group 19 playoffs.
“That team set a standard for our program,” he explained, “and quite frankly, it became much easier to recruit future athletes and establish a winning experience.”
Over the years, DePasquale’s teams managed to secure two Division III national championships in 2011 and 2012 and eight region titles to help establish the college’s softball program as a legitimate contender. He goes into the new season beginning in September with a career record of 923-417-3.
“I have to tell you it was a lucky day when Steve walked into my office,” recalled Ron Case, a former athletic director who hired DePasquale. “He made a huge difference in boosting women’s sports at the college. Right from the start, Steve showed his hard work ethic and attention to detail.
“He took great pride in working harder than other people and his approach led to a lot of success.”
The school’s current athletic director, Brian Rowan, also praised DePasquale for raising the bar in Rowan’s softball and women’s athletics as a whole.
“Steve has truly been an outstanding leader on our campus and in our program,” Rowan explained. “His records and championships speak for themselves, but beyond that, he has had a massive impact on all of us by showing what a Roadrunner program can be and how to run a first-class program.
“All of us here are better for having been able to work with him.”
DePasquale is also being praised for cultivating talent, helping Rowan to develop 32 athletes into All-Americans. But he’s most proud of what his players accomplished in their personal lives and careers after graduating from the college.
“Each player and each team always upheld the integrity of the program,” he maintained. “And we are incredibly proud at the number of student athletes who went on to enjoy their own highly successful careers in fields such as health care, education and coaching, among others.
“This goes way beyond wins and losses,” DePasquale added. “Our players are the true measures of our success.”
A replacement for the coach has yet to be named.
