Coaches

Josh Bumgarner

Josh Bumgarner enters his third season as the head softball coach at Catawba Valley Community College in 2021-22.


During his first full season in the spring of 2021, Bumgarner led the Red Hawks to a 23-13 overall record and 12-9 mark in Region 10 games. It was a monumental first full season for the Catawba Valley softball program, which earned its first-ever national ranking from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).


There were other program firsts for the Red Hawks in their first complete softball season, including their inaugural Region 10 honors in first-team pitcher Cali Hinnant and second-team third baseman Alleigh Himes. Also under Bumgarner, five Red Hawks also earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) honors, including Ashlyn Parsons, Payton Goble, Grace Andrews, Hinnant and Himes. Hinnant was also named the program's first national player of the week by the NJCAA.


Bumgarner led the Red Hawks softball program to an 11-9 overall record and 4-2 record in Region 10 games during the program's inaugural season, which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Red Hawks ranked in the top 15 nationally in 12 different offensive categories, including hits (220 - fifth), batting average (.392 - fifth), slugging (.586 - ninth), RBI (140 - 11th) and home runs (21 - 12th).


A 13-year head coaching veteran, Bumgarner was officially named the first-ever head coach of the Catawba Valley Community College softball program on March 22, 2019.


An Alexander County native and Alexander Central High School graduate, Bumgarner was taught the value of hard work by his father and grandfather, who both worked in the saw mill industry.


Bumgarner's extensive coaching pedigree includes a pair of 3A state championship titles to his resumé in 2013 and 2018 as an assistant softball coach at Alexander Central High School.


The Appalachian State alumnus also has six-year coaching stint at South Iredell High School.


Also not new to starting up softball programs, Bumgarner was the inaugural head coach of the Alexander Central Post 170 softball team during the summer of 2019.