DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Following an extensive nationwide searched that spanned over two months, the Embry-Riddle Athletics administration announced Sarah Lockett's appointment as the head coach of the Eagles' brand new softball program. The search committee tasked with identifying the best candidate for the softball program, selected Lockett from a pool of more than 110 applicants.

“We could not be more excited about who we have been able to name as our inaugural women's softball head coach,” ERAU Director of Athletics Steve Ridder stated. “Our search committee did an outstanding job to identify a special coach and I couldn't be happier to endorse their selection. Sarah has enjoyed an outstanding career, both as a student-athlete and a coach, and brings impressive credentials to our program.”

“I am honored to be invited into Embry-Riddle's athletics family and to be associated with such a world renowned institution,” Lockett said. “I would like to thank Coach Ridder and John Phillips for this opportunity and the support they have shown for me and the softball program. I am excited to lead the new Eagles softball program and believe we will be able to add to the tradition of success and reputation for excellence that the athletic programs at ERAU have.”

Lockett, who is originally from Perth Australia, brings an impressive resume to Embry-Riddle with coaching experience at the collegiate and international levels. She played at the international level for almost a decade. After competing for the Australian National Squad from 1998-02, she then went on to compete for Great Britain for four years. She played for Great Britain at the2003 European Championships, the 2006 KFC World Cup of Softball and the 2006 Softball World Championships before retiring in 2006.

Lockett's collegiate playing career began at Coastal Carolina University where she was a three-year letterwinner with the Chanticleers from 1999-01. In her final season at CCU, she ranked among the nation's best in home runs (9th), slugging percentage (14th) and RBI (25th) and was subsequently named the 2001 Big South Conference Most Valuable Player. A two-time South East first team All-Region and Big South first team All-Conference selection, Lockett also excelled in the classroom as she was tabbed as the Big South Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2000 and 2001, and was a Verizon first team Academic All-American in 2001. Her prolific career at Coastal Carolina ended with her being ranked among the Chanticleers' all-time top five in batting average (.374) home runs (37), doubles (44) and slugging percentage (.679) and earned her a spot in the Coastal Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame, where she was inducted in 2006

In 2002, Lockett opted to complete her collegiate career at Kennesaw State and used her talents to help the Owls advance to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. She started in 57 games, primarily at third base, and hit .406 in the regular season, .353 in the postseason, and totaled 11 homers and 54 RBI on the way to NCAA II first team All-America honors.  

After graduating from Kennesaw State in 2002, Lockett stayed on as a graduate assistant coach for two more seasons during which time she helped the Owls to a 99-17 overall record, including a 38-0 win streak in 2004, a Peach Belt Conference Championship, an NCAA Division II Regional title and a trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Lockett's first full-time coaching opportunity came in the fall of 2004 where she was hired as an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina. During Lockett's four years on the coaching staff, the Chanticleers won the 2006 Big South Conference Tournament Championship and earned a berth the NCAA Division I Athens regional. The 2006 club set a new single-season program record for home runs with 58, but that mark was eclipsed by the 2007 team that belted out 62 homers. Several student-athletes also garnered individual recognition in the Big South Conference as she helped guide 13 All-Conference selections, 10 All-Tournament team selections, one Conference Tournament MVP, four Academic All-Conference honorees and one conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.

In the fall of 2008, Lockett returned to Kennesaw State who was in the process of transitioning from NCAA II to NCAA I. Lockett, who was served as the Owls' chief hitting instructor and worked with infield defense, helped Kennesaw State to their first-ever appearance in the Atlantic Sun Conference. In her three seasons as an assistant coach, six players earned All-Atlantic Sun recognition, five were named to the conference All-Freshman team and two were All-Tournament selections.

In the summer of 2011, Lockett was given the opportunity to coach at the highest level of international competition when she was selected to the staff of the Australian National Team. She served as an assistant coach for Team Australia in the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Women's Championship in Vancouver and the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City, both in July.

Lockett has been a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association since 2004. She earned an undergraduate degree from Coastal Carolina in Business Administration in 2002 and completed her Masters degree in Conflict Management at Kennesaw State in 2003.

“Sarah is going to make an impact on our staff, our athletics program and the University,” Ridder said. “She has all the qualities that we admire and look for in hiring a coach, along with a unique international experience. We are excited to welcome her to the ERAU family. There is a buzz on this campus about softball and our new facilities and I'm really looking forward to what the future holds for this program.”

Lockett will then have a full year to recruit in preparation for the Eagles' first intercollegiate softball game in the spring of 2013.