Rhodes College Athletics

Luke Wagner, a native of Sidney, Ohio, is in his 11th season as the head softball coach at Rhodes College in 2021.

Wagner, the winningest coach in program history, continues to leave his mark on the Rhodes' softball program. During his tenure as head coach his squads have broken nearly 20 single season school records, and his student athletes have garnished a variety of awards, both athletic and academic. 

On the field, Wagner has mentored the college's first NFCA All-American, seven NFCA All-Region selections and 31 All-Conference First or Second Team selections since the S.A.A.'s inception in 2013 (including the 2013 Pitcher of the Year, and the 2017 and 2021 Player of the Year honorees). In 2019, Wagner led the Lynx to a national ranking and back-to-back appearances in a Conference Championship game for the first time in program history. 

In the classroom, Wagner's emphasis on education has resulted in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 teams all earning national recognition as Top 25 NFCA Team G.P.A. recipients; and his 2021 squad landing at 4th in the nation. Under Wagner's mentoring, 75 student athletes have been named NFCA All-American Scholar-Athletes (an award given annually to athletes earning a 3.5 g.p.a. or higher) with three earning CoSIDA Academic All-Region (First Team) honors as well as the program's first Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-American (Second Team).

Prior to Rhodes, Wagner served as the assistant softball coach at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. As a member of the Crusaders’ coaching staff, Wagner was actively involved in all phases of the softball program including his primary responsibility, team defense. During Wagner's season with the Crusaders, their defense completed the 2011 season with the highest fielding percentage in the program’s history, the team posted their highest winning percentage in more than a decade, and Holy Cross qualified for the Patriot League tournament for the first time since 2003 with five players off the squad earned All-Patriot League honors, and one being named NFCA All-Region, Second Team.

Before the College of the Holy Cross, Wagner coached high school and summer fastpitch in Pinellas County, Florida, one of the premiere high school softball counties in the country. While competing against nationally recognized programs, Wagner saw several athletes earn All-County honors.

Wagner holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wittenberg University, and a Master's in Coaching Education from Ohio University. During his time at Wittenberg he was a member of the Tiger’s baseball program as well as the college's intramural staff, a passion he continues to champion as Rhodes' current Director of Intramurals.

Wagner is accompanied in Memphis by his wife Chelsea, son Aiden, and dog Archer.

Rhodes College Softball Honors During Wagner's Tenure
NCAA Statistical Champion: Highest Team Batting Average (2014)
NFCA Program Ranking (Program 1st): #18 (2019)
NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete Team GPA: Top 100 (2012-2015, 2017-2019, 2021) *2021 Ranked 4th in Nation
NFCA All-American Scholar-Athletes: 75 (Program Record: 16: 2021)
NFCA All-American: 1 (1 Second Team)
NFCA All-Region: 7 (3 First Team, 3 Second Team, 1 Third Team)
SAA All-Conference Selections: 31 (12 First Team, 19 Second Team)
All-Conference Pitcher of the Year Selection(s): 2013
All-Conference Player of the Year Selection(s): 2017, 2021
CoSIDA Academic All-American: 2 (1 Second Team, 1 First Team)
CoSIDA Academic All-Region: 3 (3 First Team)
School Records Broken:  17* (7 Team, 10 Individual Season)
School Individual Career Records Broken During Tenure: 15
*Does not include same record(s) broken multiple times