Las Vegas, NV – Alma College Head Softball Coach Denny Griffin has been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) 2026 Hall of Fame class, as announced by NFCA Vice President for Awards and Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel early Saturday morning.
Denny is joined in the 2026 class by University of South Florida head coach Ken Eriksen, UCLA head coach Kirk Walker, and retired Florida A&M head coach Veronica Wiggins. The four will be inducted on Friday, December 11, 2026 in Atlantic City and bring the Hall's total to 103.
Griffin is in his 43rd year at Alma College and will enter his 38th season as the head coach of the softball program in Spring 2026. He assumed the head coaching role in 1989 after two seasons as an assistant coach. During his tenure, Griffin has compiled an overall record of 1,032-432, placing him among the most successful coaches in NCAA Division III history.
Currently, Griffin ranks 20th in coaching victories among active NCAA head coaches and third among active Division III head coaches. He is tied for sixth all-time in wins among Division III head coaches and tied for 48th on the NCAA's all-time softball wins list.
Griffin reached the 1,000-win milestone during the 2024 season with a 1-0 shutout victory over Eastern University. He became the 51st coach in NCAA softball history to reach the mark and just the seventh coach in the 50-year history of Division III to achieve 1,000 career wins.
Under Griffin's leadership, Alma has captured 15 MIAA regular season championships and 11 MIAA Tournament titles, the most conference championships by any softball coach in league history. The Scots have also won six NCAA Regional Championships and one NCAA Super Regional Championship, advancing to the NCAA National Finals on six occasions.
Griffin has coached 188 All-MIAA selections, including 96 First Team honorees, along with 11 MIAA Most Valuable Players and four MIAA Most Valuable Pitchers. At the national level, he has guided 97 All-Region selections and 19 All-Americans.
Alma made its first NCAA Tournament appearance under Griffin in 1994, posting a 36-8 overall record. Following a brief two-year absence, the Scots qualified for nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments, compiling a remarkable 321-76 record during that span.
Beyond the field, Griffin has been deeply involved with the NFCA and NCAA. He has served on the NCAA Division III Top 25 Committee, including three years as chair, and spent four years as Chair of the Central Region All-American Committee. Griffin currently serves on the NFCA Division III Head Coaches Committee and recently completed his second four-year term on the NCAA Softball Committee, which oversees the Division III Softball Championships. He previously chaired the committee from 2004-06 and was selected as Vice Chair for the 2022 season.
Griffin began his Alma College career as the Head Athletic Trainer and has held numerous roles throughout his tenure, including Athletic Director, Athletic Training Education Program Director, academic advisor, and instructor in the Integrative Physiology and Health Science program.
