After coaching across the country, Shelly Hoerner was ready to come home to Buffalo.
With a 10-year old daughter and family in the region, Hoerner wanted to continue coaching, but also return to her roots for the first time in 30 years.
D’Youville had an opening, looking to find some stability after four different coaches since 2020. But after parting ways with Appalachian State in May after seven seasons, Hoerner is now back in Western New York to coach a team entering its second year as a Division II program.
Hoerner was announced as D’Youville’s new head coach on July 12, bringing a 25-year resume that includes 760 total wins with the Mountaineers, College of Charleston, Georgia Tech and Division II’s Barry and Valdosta State.
“It was time to figure out where we wanted to be for our next move and it all came down to where we wanted to be for our next move,” said Hoerner, who won a state championship with North Tonawanda in 1988. “And this door continued to be open at D’Youville. … I started my career in Division II, kind of coming full circle.”
As soon as the hiring went public, Hoerner met with her players through video chat to present her expectations and goals for the team. Finding consistency at the plate and on the mound is Hoerner’s first goal leading D’Youville.
The Saints haven’t batted over .300 in five seasons and were fifth out of six teams in the East Coast Conference last year with 241 runs. And, on the mound, D’Youville was last in the ECC with a 7.03 ERA last year and fourth in 2023 with a 4.19 ERA, with a fielding percentage of less than .950 three times.
Although Hoerner won fewer than 45% of her games during her last two stops at Georgia Tech and Appalachian State, her teams historically show an improvement during her second season. At Barry, Charleston, Georgia Tech and Appalachian State, Hoerner was 11 games under .500 in her first season, but 25 games over .500 in the second.
“You always have to be, as a leader, you have to continue to learn and to grow not only as a coach, but as a person,” Hoerner said. “And having these relationships with different players and families is always something that I’ll cherish. And I think it’s important because you can always learn something every single day from somebody.”
Hoerner fit the mold for D’Youville, which was looking for someone with a history of rebuilding programs.. Hoerner recorded five seasons of 30-plus wins at Charleston and five at Barry.
“She’s been successful at many different levels,” D’Youville Vice President for Athletics and Planning Ona Halladay said. “She has the resume, no doubt, but I also think she is someone that will win and win the right way. I mean, that came through really clearly in her interview with us on campus. And, just the leadership quality, she has the things that she values. She’s going to be a really great addition to our staff.”