The Chowan Athletic Department announced the hiring of Ashley Gustafson as the head coach of the Chowan Softball program.

Ashley Gustafson is no stranger to Chowan athletics after spending three seasons as an assistant coach under former coach Brian DeWitt from 2014-2017.

Gustafson returns to Chowan after spending the past two years as a middle school teacher at Conway Middle School in nearby Conway, N.C.  During her time with the Blue Devils, Gustafson was the head softball coach, assistant volleyball coach, Math department chair, and a part of the Staff Leadership and PBIS Culture teams.

During her first stint with the Hawks, Gustafson helped lead the team to a 91-48 overall record and a 43-3 record in the CIAA with three CIAA Northern Division Titles, three CIAA Championship Finals appearances, a CIAA Championship, and an NCAA Atlantic Regional appearance.  Gustafson helped players like Kayla Robins, Danielle Baccus, Brittany Parson, and Haley Cooper to CIAA Player of the Year and CIAA Rookie of the Year honors.

Prior to coming to Chowan, she was a graduate assistant at UT-Martin from 2012-2014.  There, she helped the program amass a 64-47 record with two trips to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with an OVC Tournament Finalist appearance in 2013.  Gustafson helped produce five All-OVC selections, an OVC Freshman of the Year, and a Capital One Academic All-American.

Before her collegiate coaching career, Gustafson was an assistant coach at Central Catholic High School for two season.

The West Lafayette, Indiana native played at Morehead State as an outfielder.  While with the Eagles, she helped the program to 117 wins and three Ohio Valley Conference Tournament appearances including the program's first in 2008.  Gustafson was a three-time OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll selection.

Ashley Gustafson received her bachelor's degree in Mathematics with a concentration in Secondary Education from Morehead State in 2010.  Gustafson would receive her MBA from UT-Martin in 2014.

She is married to Eric Gustafson, Director of Sports Medicine at Chowan.