Diane Lokey enters her 23rd season at West Chester University as head coach of the school’s softball squad. She has single-handedly resurrected a sport at West Chester that was perennially a second-division resident, which had not witnessed a winning season in nearly a decade before she stepped on campus. A program that only finished higher than fifth place in the PSAC Eastern Division once before her arrival, and never made a conference playoff appearance, has missed the PSAC Tournament just once since 2009.

Lokey authored six consecutive 40-win campaigns, setting the single-season school record for wins in 2016 at 48 and equaling that mark again in 2018. She has won four regional crowns with an accompanying trip to the national semifinals, including three straight in 2018, 2019 and 2021, won six consecutive divisional titles (2014 to 2019), been named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Coach of the Year six times (2008, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023) and tutored 10 major award winners from the PSAC (Athlete of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year). In 2017, Lokey has also been at the helm of both PSAC Championship clubs in 2017 and 2021.

Lokey has mustered an overall record of 782-466(.626), including her first two seasons coaching college softball at Elizabethtown College. Her WCU record of 702-430-1 (.620) leaves her as the school's all-time winningest softball skipper by a large margin.

In 2025, West Chester finished a game shy of a chance to repeat as PSAC Tournament Champions, finishing sixth and missing the PSAC Tournament before qualifying for hte NCAA Tournament with a record of 33-19 overall and 18-14 in league action. Despite missing the PSAC Tournament, West Chester did punch its ticket back to the NCAA Tournament, traveling to East Stroudsburg and going 1-2 with an extra-inning loss to Shippensburg, a comeback win over Bowie State, and finally a setback against East Stroudsburg to bring the season to its conclusion. 

In 2024, West Chester returned to prominance and finished hte regular season with a record of 36-22 overall and 18-13 in league play, which was good enough for third in the league. In the postseason, West Chester rattled off seven wins in a row, which included a 4-0 run through the PSAC Tournament to hoist the PSAC Championship trophy once again and an appearance on the final day of the opening Regional Weekend vs eventual Champion, Charleston (W.V.).

In 2023, West Chester ensured its hiatus from the PSAC and NCAA Tournament would last only one year, finishing the season with a mark of 37-19 overall and a record of 24-6 in league action to capture a share of its sixth PSAC East Regular-Season Title, while setting a new progam record for Conference wins in the process. Lokey's charges suffered an opening-day exit from the PSAC Tournament in Quakertown before advancing to the NCAA Tournament as a fifth seed, marking the 11th-time Lokey has led her team into the NCAA Tournament. West Chester started the Tournament off with a 6-3 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan before falling to East Stroudsburg and WVWC on the second day to bring the season to a close. At the conclusion of the season, freshman pitcher Danielle Ciliberto (who was a First Team All-PSAC East honoree as well), was named the Atlantic Region Finalist for the Tucci Sports/NFCA DII Freshman of the Year award. Additionally, senior outfielder Madison Melvin took home another All-America citation, earning DII-CCA Third Team All-American honors. 

In 2022, West Chester missed the PSAC Tournament for the first time since 2009, finishing the year with a record of 24-22 overall, to finish above .500 for the 15^th year in a row dating back to 2008. Lokey also mentored NFCA Second Team All-American and Golden Spikes Award Winner, Madison Melvin as the speedy junior led the Nation in stolen bases a year ago, stealing 56, which set a new single-season record for both WCU and the PSAC while also eclipsing the WCU career stolen base record. Melvin turned in an outstanding junior season, which saw her lead West Chester in an array of statistical categories, including batting average (.453), hits (77), runs (60), and stolen bases (56-60). Melvin's .453 batting average and 60 runs both rank second-best in team single-season history, while her 77 hits are tied for third-best in single-season program history. Melvin's 56 steals on the year also allowed the junior to set a new single-season stolen base record for both West Chester and the PSAC while also eclipsing the career stolen base record, previously held by Meghan Kelly in just 111 career games. Melvin's 56 steals in 46 games is the best in all of Division II softball by seven stolen bases, as she leads junior infielder Ashlyn Lerma, who stole 49 bases in 51 games earlier this Spring. Melvin is believed to be the first Golden Ram to receive this award since the award was first presented at the end of the 2005 season. The award is selected by NFCA divisional committees across all divisions and represents the nation's top speedsters. Additionally, Melvin was the programs first NFCA All-American since Amanda Houck earned Second Team honors at the end of the 2017-18 season.

In the spring of 2021, Lokey captured the PSAC title for the second time four seasons on the diamond, secured its third straight Atlantic Region crown and made its third straight trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships as a result of the regional crown. Lokey and her staff were lauded as the Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the third straight time and fourth time overall (2014, 2018, 2019, 2021). West Chester concluded the season ranked eighth in the country for the third straight year as well.

In 2020, West Chester ranked as high as eighth nationally at the Division II level by the National Faspitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) and were projected to win the PSAC Eastern Division title once again. Through the first 15 games, West Chester lived up to the hype with a 12-3 record, including an 11-game winning streak. After its 11th consecutive win -- a thrilling 9-run come-from-behind victory in the bottom of the ninth -- the season was cancelled due to concerns regarding COVID-19.

In 2019, West Chester captured its sixth consecutive PSAC Eastern Division title and used that momentum to capture the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament and return the national finals for the second year in a row and the third time in program history. Over the course of the run, West Chester outscored its opponents by a margin of 46-22. West Chester ended the season with an overall record of 40-22 and a mark of 11-5 in the ever challenging PSAC East. Lokey also recorded her 500th win at the helm of the Purple & Gold with a victory over Chestnut Hill. Lokey captured PSAC East Coach of the Year accolades for the second year in a row and the third time in the last four years while also earning ECAC DII Softball Coach of the Year honors and NFCA Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year recognition for the second season in a row. Additionally, Lokey mentored the PSAC East Pitcher of the Year in Reilly Gearhart and the ECAC Player of the Year, along with DII CCA All-American Heidi McCollester.

In 2018, West Chester made a trip to the national finals for the first time since 2014. West Chester went 5-0 through the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament, which culminated with a two-game Super Regional sweep over Gannon. West Chester ended the year 45-15 overall and a mark of 14-2 in PSAC East play and the team’s fifth consecutive PSAC Eastern Division Title. Lokey captured PSAC East Coach of the Year accolades for the second year in a row and her staff was named NFCA Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

The 2017 campaign was Golden for Lokey and her Rams, but left some unfinished business for the next two seasons. West Chester won 48 games for the second year in a row, won the PSAC Eastern Division for the third year in a row and finished with a win in the PSAC Championship Game. The Golden Rams reached the Super Regional for the second time in three years, falling to host Kutztown in consecutive games.

In 2016, Lokey's charges opened the year with a 17-game winning streak and ended up losing just five games in the regular season. Unfortunately, that success did not carry over to the postseason where West Chester managed just one win against four losses. On the bright side, the Golden Rams' 48 wins overall set a new single-season school record.

Eight years ago, West Chester won 37 games and reached the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in school history. As a result, Lokey and her coaching staff were lauded NFCA Atlantic Region coaching staff of the year.

In 2011, Lokey guided her charges to the PSAC Championship Game for the first time in school history, losing to nationally ranked Indiana (Pa.) in the finals. Along the way, West Chester established a then-school record for wins in a single season with 34. It marked the third time in Lokey's eight previous years at West Chester that the softball team eclipsed 30 wins in a season. The Golden Rams played for the PSAC Championship at the end of the spring, falling to Indiana (Pa.) in the title game.

She tutored four-time, first team All-PSAC East outfielder, Erin MacNamee, who single-handedly rewrote the school's record book during her tenure on South Campus. MacNamee's school hits record fell to Bri Garber, before the world pandemic shut things down on the spring season. Garber graduated West Chester as the most decorated softball player in school history. She owns six career records on the books as well as two more single-season marks. In addition, Garber holds two PSAC all-time marks. She was a four-time all-conference performer and three-time All-Atlantic Region pick as well as a two-time Honorable Mention All-America honoree in 2018 and 2021.

In 2010, Lokey and the Golden Rams captured the regular season PSAC Eastern Division title for the first time in school history. As a result, Lokey was lauded coach of the year for the second time in three years. The Golden Rams advanced to the PSAC postseason tournament final round of three for the first time as well. Second team All-America shortstop, Sam Ingersoll, won the loop’s triple crown in 2010, leading the PSAC in batting average, home runs and RBI. She was named the PSAC East player of the year as well as the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year. 

In 2009, Lokey guided her team to a 28-20 mark and a spot in the NCAA regional tournament for the second year in a row. She tutored four players, who were All-PSAC East that season, including second team All-American Erin MacNamee.

Tabbed with rebuilding the Golden Rams’ program 18 years ago, Lokey has turned the Golden Rams’ diamondwomen into one of the top programs in the Eastern Division. Her efforts, have not gone unnoticed by the regional committee, who have selected West Chester University for the 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 NCAA Tournaments.

Lokey was accorded PSAC East coach of the year for the first time in 2008, after masterminding 32 wins while reaching 10 victories in conference play for the first time in over a decade. The Golden Rams authored a 13-game turnaround from 2007 overall and a seven-game improvement within the PSAC Eastern Division. Along the way, West Chester set another then-school record with its 16-game winning streak during the month of March – a month that saw the Rams win 21 of their 27 contests.

In 2006, West Chester put together a 21-win season behind Lokey’s guidance, its first 20-win campaign since 2003 and just the program’s third 20-win season in its history at the time.

Additionally, the Golden Rams have excelled in the classroom. The Golden Rams were honored as a member of the “Girls Got Game” all-academic team for the 2008-09 academic year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as well. West Chester ranked 47th among all Division II schools with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.17.

West Chester’s softball team placed 11th nationally in team grade-point average in 2005-06 and 23rd nationally in 2006-07. Last year, the Golden Rams were once again named among the Top 35 schools nationally in grade-point average.

In 2002, Lokey engineered one of the greatest sudden turnarounds in the history of Blue Jay athletics while at Elizabethtown College.

Lokey defied all expectations by turning an 11-19 squad into a winner that spring, despite losing seven seniors to graduation. Prior to that campaign, the Blue Jays were picked to finish last in the Commonwealth Conference’s preseason coaches’ poll. But, Lokey inspired her team to a second-place finish during the regular season and guided the club to the playoffs for the first time since 1994.

Elizabethtown set numerous program records in 2002, including marks for longest winning streak (15 games) and victories in a single season (30). Her club finished 30-12 overall.

In 2003, Lokey guided the Blue Jays to a runner-up finish in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs, falling just two wins shy of reaching the NCAA Division III Tournament. The team again finished second in the conference with a 19-15 overall record.

Lokey served as program director at the Lititz Community Center from 1988-95 and was an executive director there from 1995 to 2000. She served as a volunteer assistant coach for Lebanon Valley College’s softball team in the spring of 2001 and served as a varsity assistant field hockey coach at Elizabethtown High School from 2000-03.

From 1992-2000, Lokey was a varsity assistant softball coach at Warwick High School where she helped the team bring home section championships in 1993, 1996 and 1997; Lancaster-Lebanon League titles in 1996 and 2000; and a PIAA Class AAA District III crown in 1997.

As a player, Lokey has been honored as a Class A Amateur Softball Association Nationals All-American and has served as an ASA guest clinician.

Lokey was inducted into Elizabethtown High School's Hall of Fame in October 2010.

Lokey earned a bachelor’s of science degree in Leisure Management from Lock Haven University in 1987 where she played field hockey. She earned Division I all-conference recognition in the PSAC for her exploits as a defender in 1986. She earned her master's of science degree in Sport and Athletic Administration from West Chester University in 2010.