WEST CHESTER, PA – West Chester University softball head coach,
Diane Lokey, announced her retirement Monday, bringing to a close one of the most successful coaching tenures in Golden Rams athletics history.
Over her 23 seasons at West Chester, Lokey compiled a remarkable 735-449-1 (.620) record, making her the winningest softball coach in school history by a significant margin. Including her first two seasons as a collegiate head coach at Elizabethtown College, Lokey finishes her coaching career with an overall record of 793-487-1 (.619).
"I am forever grateful to Nancy Latimore, former Elizabethtown Athletic Director, for giving me the opportunity to coach in college athletics, and Dr. Ed Matejkovic for then hiring me to lead at West Chester University," Lokey stated. "As I reflect on my coaching journey, I am only filled with so much pride and thankfulness.
"My journey includes working alongside many hardworking, dedicated individuals; administrators, athletic training, operations, sports information, sports performance, professors, umpires, coaches and anyone else whom I may have forgotten. I thank them for everything they did for our program and for me. I am forever indebted to those individuals. I'd like to thank them for their trust in me and dedication to West Chester softball. It was a pleasure to work alongside each and every one of them.
"More importantly, to the student athletes. Being a spring student athlete is hard, and I thank you for giving your best every day, your positive attitude with every weather pivot and your willingness to grow into life-ready Rams. Thank you for making practice fun and believing in me to lead. The memories will be treasured forever.
"To my family and best friends, thank you for your patience through my journey. I missed so much, and I am so excited for the next chapter to take that hike, go on actual vacations, and just hangout without the forever list.
"What a ride, a big thank you to the entire Golden Rams team."
The architect behind one of the greatest turnarounds in Division II softball, Lokey inherited a program in 2004 that went 23-21 in 2003 and missed the postseason for the 21st consecutive season and steadily developed the Golden Rams into a top-tier program within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
When Lokey arrived at West Chester, softball was a program searching for an identity. The Golden Rams put together just two winning seasons in over a decade, had only finished higher than fifth place in the East once and had never advanced to the conference tournament.
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Diane Lokey's impact on West Chester softball cannot be overstated," Athletics Director,
Terry Beattie said. "She transformed a struggling program into a perennial contender. But, her greatest legacy may be off the field. Diane's commitment to community service and preparing her players for life beyond softball built the culture of character and accountability that fueled the team's success on it. On behalf of West Chester Athletics, I want to thank Diane for her extraordinary dedication and wish her the best in retirement."
A six-time PSAC East Coach of the Year and a four-time Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, Lokey tutored 10 PSAC major award winners (Athlete, Pitcher and Freshman of the Year). Lokey's charges rewrote the Golden Rams' record book as she had the privilege of coaching career leaders in almost every major category.
Lokey's teams produced six 40-win seasons, including a school-record 48 victories in back-to-back campaigns (2016, 2017). She guided West Chester to PSAC championships in 2017, 2021 and 2024 and led the Golden Rams into the NCAA Tournament 14 times. She reached the national semifinals on four separate occasions, including three consecutive trips from 2018 through 2021.
While Lokey's teams consistently competed for championships on the diamond, they also established a tradition of academic excellence. West Chester regularly was recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) as a Team Academic Award recipient during Lokey's 23-year tenure. Last year, the Golden Rams once again made the academic listing by posting a cumulative GPA of 3.61.
More than the victories, championships and individual accolades, Lokey leaves behind a lasting legacy of excellence. She took a program that had spent years near the bottom of its conference and built it into a consistent championship contender, establishing a standard of success that will define West Chester softball for years to come.
Her legacy is measured not only in championships and records, but in the student-athletes she developed, the culture of academic and athletic excellence she established, and the transformation of a program that became synonymous with success during her tenure.
Lokey leaves West Chester softball not simply as its winningest coach, but as the architect of a program that learned how to win.
After 23 seasons, countless victories and an enduring impact on generations of student-athletes, Lokey leaves West Chester as one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of Golden Rams athletics.
Assistant coach,
Hayley Tamaro, will serve as the interim head coach of West Chester's softball program during the fall semester while a national search for Lokey's successor is conducted.
