Valparaiso University athletic director Bill Steinbrecher has announced that Randy Schneider has been named the new head softball coach for the Crusaders.

Schneider arrives at Valpo after serving as the head coach at Wartburg College in Iowa for four seasons. With the Knights, he compiled a 100-37-1 record, guiding Wartburg to its first Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship in 2001. That same year, Schneider led the team to the NCAA Division III tournament when the Knights finished as Central Region runners-up with a 36-9-1 mark. Following the completion of the season, he earned IIAC Coach of the Year and Regional Coach of the Year accolades. In 2002, under Schneider's guidance, Wartburg again returned to the NCAA tournament, finishing in third place in the region.

?With his previous background at another Lutheran school and outstanding coaching record, I think that Randy will be a good fit for the Valparaiso University athletic family," Steinbrecher said of hiring Schneider.

Prior to arriving at Wartburg, Schneider served as head softball coach at Waverly-Shell Rock High School. He is a 1988 graduate of Wartburg College with a degree in physical education.