​Info supplied by Duke Softball

Duke softball head coach Marissa Young has completed her initial coaching staff, announcing the addition of assistant coach Amanda Chidester to the Blue Devils.

Chidester, who was a four-year starter at the University of Michigan, Young’s alma mater, will join Duke on Sept. 1, 2016. She will oversee the Blue Devil hitters and infielders.

“While in search of the final hire to complete our coaching staff, it was overwhelmingly evident that Amanda Chidester, possesses all the attributes we want in our program, ” Young said. “I can’t say enough about Amanda as an energetic, hard-working, passionate young coach who knows her stuff and knows how to win. Amanda is a winner.”

“It has been hard to find words to express how much I am looking forward to this next journey in my life,” Chidester said. “Coaching has been a dream of mine ever since my first year at Michigan. To start my career at Duke in the position I will be in is a dream come true. I am very thankful for Coach Young to give me this opportunity and to help build Duke Softball. I am looking forward to all of the hard work that is in store for us.”

While at Michigan, Chidester was the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year (2011, 2012) and a two-time NFCA All-America honoree (2009, 2011). She was also Michigan's Big Ten Medal of Honor winner as a senior in 2012. On the Wolverines’ career charts, Chidester completed her career ranked second in RBI (200), second in grand slams (5), fourth in slugging percentage (.596), fifth in home runs (40), ninth in hits (248) and 10th in runs scored (157). She graduated in 2013 with a degree in physical education with a minor in health.

After completing her Michigan career, Chidester was selected as a member of Team USA Softball. She has captured a trio of gold medals at the World Cup of Softball, hitting .385 with five runs batted in, three scored and a home run during the 2014 edition. She has added a pair of silver medals at the ISF World Championships, a gold medal at the Japan Cup and a gold medal from the Mayor's Cup and Pan American Games Qualifier.

“Amanda has won at every level she played, in college, professionally and internationally,” Young added. “Her high quality character, work ethic, and passion for success makes her both a great mentor and role model for players in our program."

Most recently, Chidester spent the 2015 campaign with the Japanese Softball League.

“We will be following Amanda this summer as she goes on tour to play with the USA National Team and The ScrapYard Dawgs professional team in Texas. We look forward to her return to Durham in the fall,” Young said. “Amanda and I have a shared history coming from the same coaching tree and we look forward to a shared future in building a great softball legacy here at Duke.”




Duke announced its plan to add softball in 2013 and hired Young as the program’s first head coach in July, 2015. Plans for a new softball stadium are in progress as Duke will begin varsity competition in the spring of 2018.

The program is scheduled to allot the NCAA maximum 12 scholarships within the first four years of competition.