Two-time Olympic softball gold medalist, Liberty University Softball Head Coach Dot Richardson is heading south this summer to her home state of Florida to coach a professional softball team, the Florida Vibe.
Richardson’s seasoned athletic and coaching career has come with a lot of growth and success, all of which she credits to God.
The president of the Florida Vibe and CEO of UMR Sports, Ryan Moore, personally extended the invitation to Richardson to coach his team. Richardson embraced the opportunity to coach at the professional level, motivated by the hope of growing professional softball and encouraging young girls to foster their athletic talents.
Richardson said she will never forget being denied the opportunity to compete on a team in her youth, as young girls were previously unable to play organized sports. Since then, Richardson has had a front row seat to the progression of women’s sports and, more specifically, women’s softball.
After helping the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) win its first national championship and earning two Olympic gold-medals and four world championships during her time with Team USA, Richardson desires to give female athletes the opportunity to exercise and grow their God-given talents.
“You don’t play for those accomplishments and recognitions,” Richardson said. “You play because God has given you the gift to do it, and you are honoring him by doing it to the best of your abilities.”
Richardson’s approach to coaching professional softball differs slightly from the college level since many professional players have more years of experience in the sport. Her focus will be on putting together a lineup that encourages her players as well as mentoring them as they pave the way for the future growth of professional softball.
“You always want to leave a legacy. … That’s what I think we need to be doing at a professional level,” Richardson said. “Build a legacy through a professional level that will open the doors for future generations to come.”
Richardson’s favorite part about coaching is the opportunity she has to impact the lives of the people around her, using the sport as her mission field.
“The Lord has brought me here to coach as a ministry to hopefully show the light of Christ to others and do it in a way they see that you can take your faith and relationship with the Lord through your job and opportunities you have and your interactions and relationships with other people,” Richardson said.
During her coaching career, Richardson has developed Liberty’s softball program through her time as head coach. In Richardson’s first season as head coach in 2014, the Lady Flames held an 11-46 record. By the 2025 season, the program has seen major growth, making multiple appearances in the top 25 USA Softball rankings.
“Liberty athletics is growing, and it’s moving at new heights,” Richardson said. “Training Champions for Christ is not just a motto or mantra. … It’s a commitment, and you can see God’s faithfulness and that God is faithful.”
So far this season, the Lady Flames have had strong performances on the diamond with contributions from their entire lineup. Offensively, the Lady Flames’ bats are hot with multiple players holding batting averages over .300.
Only four games remain in the 2025 regular season before the Lady Flames head to the Conference USA Softball Championship tournament. Before the postseason, the Lady Flames travel to Charlottesville to face the University of Virginia April 30, followed by a weekend series May 2-4 against Florida International University at Kamphuis Field.
As the Lady Flames near the postseason, Richardson hopes to make even longer strides in postseason play. Last year, the team was one out away from defeating the University of Georgia in the NCAA Athens Regional. This season, Richardson wants the team to pick up where they left off.
“In order to get there, everything has to come together,” Richardson said. “I see the team coming together. … They really do care about each other, and teams that do that usually come together and play really well.”
Richardson encourages her players to embrace and grow their God-given talents.
“We are not going to worship the sport,” Richardson said. “We are going to let the sport be our worship back to the Lord. … Once you realize that the sport doesn’t define who you are, all of a sudden you start playing with more freedom.”
The coaching staff of the Lady Flames Softball team plays a vital role in the team’s success. Richardson attributes a great part of the team’s offensive success to Assistant Coach Sami Fagan, who works with the hitters, as well as Associate Head Coach Kasey Fagan and Assistant Coach Emily Kirby.
“They could be anywhere in the county,” Richardson said. “They’re sought after all the time, and they enjoy being here at Liberty because they too want to continue to grow their faith, to share their faith and to do the gifts God has given them in the sport to help future generations be able to succeed on the field and off the field.”
The next few months for Richardson are filled with softball both at the collegiate and professional levels. However, her goals remain the same no matter where she is or what she does.
“I want to encourage all of us to define our faith, to grow our faith, to be bold in our faith and to be able to share our faith, to bring others to the Lord in whatever avenue it might be, whether it’s athletics, academics or business, you name it,” Richardson said. “Our sport is just something tangible that people can look and see what he (God) has done with us and through us.”
Wachowiack is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.