By: Story from Francis Marion Athletic Communications
FLORENCE, S.C. - The three-member coaching staff of the Francis Marion University softball program has been recognized as the 2025 ATEC/NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year for the Southeast Region of NCAA Division II.
They were one of eight programs – one for each of the Division II regions – sited for their work in 2025, and were selected by their peers. They are now eligible for the NFCA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 5.
Francis Marion, led by head coach Stacey Vallee and assistant coaches Jessie Scroggins and Taylor Watford, registered an historic season in 2025. The Patriots posted a 53-6 overall record, the most wins in program history, and captured its third consecutive Conference Carolinas Tournament championship. FMU also won the conference's East Division title and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the fourth straight year, serving as host for both the Regional and Super Regional rounds.
The Patriots earned the Southeast Region's No. 1 overall seed and reached the Super Regional round by sweeping the regional with three consecutive shutouts.
Francis Marion ended the regular season ranked second in the NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll and was in the top four for each of the final seven weeks of the regular season.
In the most recent Division II national statistical rankings, Francis Marion ranked second in won-loss percentage, fifth in strikeouts-to-walks ratio (3.74), sixth in runs scored (397) and shutouts (19), seventh in team earned run average (1.85) and WHIP (1.02), eighth in hits (549), 10th in team batting average (.340), 12th in scoring (6.73 runs per game), 13th in team fielding percentage (program-record .973), and 14th in team on-base percentage (.409).
The 2025 campaign included winning streaks of 22 and 17 games.
Four Patriot players earned All-America honors following the season.
In the classroom, the Patriots registered a 3.525 team grade point average for the spring semester, including six players with perfect 4.00 GPAs.
Earlier this spring, Vallee was named the Conference Carolinas' Coach of the Year for 2025. In her 21 seasons on the FMU bench, she has posted a 653-379-1 mark.
She is currently chairman of the NCAA Division II Regional Advisory Committe (RAC) for the Southeast Region, and has been on the committee since 2014. She has also served as a member of the National Committee for Division II softball since 2016, and is serving her second stint on the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll committee (2025-28, 2013-14). She is also the athletic department's Senior Women's Administrator,
Scoggins, a former All-American outfielder at Baylor University, recently concluded her second season as a Patriot assistant. Watford, a native of Lamar, S.C., and a product of Hartsville High School, finished her first season as a member of Vallee's staff. Watford played two seasons for FMU, garnering honorable mention All-America recognition in 2024.
Regional (respective region only) and National Coaching Staffs of the Year are voted on by NFCA member head coaches.
Vallee Scroggins Watford