July 10, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Chris Kuhlmeyer, who spent the previous four seasons as an assistant softball coach at Samford University, was officially named to a similar position at Wichita State University, it was announced Monday.

A native of Pensacola, Fla., Kuhlmeyer served as the recruiting coordinator for Samford since 2003, while maintaining coaching duties with catchers and hitters, as well as maintenance of Bulldog Field. He also assisted with the middle infielders and coached first base.

During Kuhlmeyer's tenure at Samford, the Bulldogs recorded their best four-season stretch in school history.

Samford won 27 or more games in three of his four seasons, including the only two winning seasons in program history. Last year, Samford finished as the 36th-ranked team in the nation in stolen bases per game, averaging 1.31 per contest.

Prior to his time at Samford, Kuhlmeyer served as a volunteer assistant coach for two seasons at Baylor University.

At Baylor he maintained coaching responsibilities with catchers, and assisted with hitting instruction as well as the infield. Kuhlmeyer's other responsibilities included coaching first base, assisting with the coordination of the team's booster club as well as field maintenance at Getterman Stadium.

Kuhlmeyer, 29, spent a summer as head coach of the Louisiana Lady Hawks, an ASA 16-and-under team and led the squad to three tournament titles in 2000. Under his guidance, the Lady Hawks also placed in the top three at both ASA and NSA state tournaments.

Prior to his tenure with the Lady Hawks, Kuhlmeyer was a volunteer assistant coach for one season at Louisiana State University, where he was responsible for coaching catchers and assisting with hitting instruction.

He also assisted with the team¹s booster club as well as ordering of equipment and team travel. Prior to his season as a volunteer assistant, Kuhlmeyer served as a student manager at LSU for four seasons while earning his B.S., in education from LSU, with a concentration in sports studies.

A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Kuhlmeyer is married to the former Shelley Dykes, a native of Baton Rouge, La.