Coaching Staff

Jody Hennigar is entering his fourth season as pitching coach for the UB softball program in the 2022 campaign. Hennigar brings over 45 years of playing and coaching experience to UB, having been a member of the Canadian National Men's Fastpitch Team for over a decade.

Several Bulls saw improvements in the circle in 2021, most notably Alexis Lucyshyn who received First Team All-MAC honors after recording a 6-10 overall record and a 5.81 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 97.2 innings of work while also excelling at the plate. Hennigar also recruited Ally Marcano to Buffalo and the graduate student was a force in the circle for UB, compiling a 9-13 overall record with a team-best 5.37 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 117.1 innings pitched. He was also instrumental in the development of sophomore Madelyn Hickingbottom and freshman Julia Tarantino who gave the Bulls solid innings of relief all season.

Under Hennigar's guidance the Bulls pitching staff was able to lower its ERA to 4.92 in 2019, down a full two runs from 2018. Under his watchful eye, Ally Power climbed up the UB record books as the senior finished her career ranked second in program history in games started (81), third in career appearances (110), fourth in innings pitched (490.0) and ranks fifth in strikeouts (348) while compiling a 4.32 career ERA. Power finished her senior campaign with a 3.99 ERA, the second-best mark of her four year career. Senior Lace Smith also saw improement on the mound as she lowered her ERA to 5.89 in 2019, while recording five wins and a career-best six complete games.

Hennigar came to Buffalo after spending tjhe 2017 season as the pitching coach for Jacksonville University where he helped the Dolphins staff post a 2.80 team ERA with 176 strikeouts and 27 victories in the circle. He helped sophomore Alyssa Bilodeau post a career year as she went 16-13 with a 2.32 ERA and 115 strikeouts across 190.0 innings of work.

Before Jacksonville, he was the head coach of the Tampa Mustangs 14U travel team from 2012-2016. Under his leadership, the squad has advanced to two ASA Championships. He also assisted at nearby Saint Leo University with pitching clinics, and has been involved in pitching and hitting workshops with the local Dixie Softball Chapter for the past 10 years. Since 2003, he has served as an individual instructor for aspiring softball players, producing over 30 NCAA Division I athletes, and many more at lower levels.

Prior to his time with the Mustangs, Hennigar served as the head coach of the Florida Ultimate Gold showcase team from 2007-2012, leading the group to three ASA National Championship appearances. He served as a volunteer coach for the Howard University Bison softball team in 2005.

As an instructor, he has long since been involved in international softball clinics, facilitating pitching workshops in the United States, Canada, Guatemala, South Africa, and The Philippines, among other countries.

He served on the coaching staff of the 1985 New Zealand Boy's 18U National Championship team.

Hennigar's illustrious playing career has included medal-winning performances in both the United States and his home country of Canada.

His first gold medal came in 1980, winning a Canadian National Championship Gold Medal while competing on the Olympic Bingo Midget Fastpitch Team of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

As a member of the Canadian National Men's Fastpitch Team from 1989-2002, Hennigar earned five medals, winning top honors at the ISF World Championships in 1992, silver in 1996, and bronze in 2000. He won a pair of gold medals with the squad at the Pan American games, taking home top honors in 1995 and 1999.

His time with the Canadian National Team saw him win two gold, four silver, and three bronze medals at the Canadian National Championships between 1986-2005. During that time, he was a six-time All-Canadian Team selection, winning the MVP Player and MVP Pitcher awards twice each.

Hennigar was a six-time selection for the International Softball Congress All-World Team, with his Canadian squad winning ISC World Championships in 1987, 1997, and 1999.

He also competed in 17 National Fastpitch Championships for the Amateur Softball Association, winning four silver and three bronze medals. He is a six-time ASA All-American Selection, and has been once named the ASA MVP, and twice the ASA MVP Pitcher.

Hennigar's storied career on the diamond has led to his induction into several distinguished softball circles. He was placed in the Canadian National Softball Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Nova Scotia Softball and Sports Hall of Fames in 2010. Also in 2010, he was enshrined in the ASA Softball Hall of Fame, making it into the ISC Hall in 2011. Finally, he was placed in the Highland Park Softball Association Hall of Fame in 2012.

Hennigar attended Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI from 1984-85, and Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA from 1987-88.

Steph Roan is in her first season with the Buffalo softball program after being hired by head coach Mike Ruechel in August of 2021.

“Steph has quality experience as both a head coach and assistant,” said Ruechel. “Her diverse background will help us continue to take our program to the next level. Her passion for player development and recruiting will make an immediate impact on our program.”

Roan comes to Buffalo from the University of Mary, in North Dakota, where she served as the head coach for three seasons. She joined the Marauders after serving as assistant coach at NCAA Division II Fort Lewis College of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) in 2017-18. Before that, she coached at St. Cloud State University, her alma mater and a fellow member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

The Marauders finished 2020 with a record of 12-9 in a season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Five Marauders earned NSIC all-academic honors, while Madison Jahner was named a Northern Sun Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award recipient.

In Coach Roan's first season at UMary, the Marauders finished the 2019 season with a record of 21-29 overall and 12-18 in NSIC play and saw five student-athletes earn Northern Sun all-academic team honors.

Roan joined the Fort Lewis College staff in July 2017 for her first full-time collegiate coaching position. The St. Charles, IL, native, was involved in all aspects of the Skyhawks program including recruiting, fundraising, player skill development, practice organization and game day duties. In her lone season with FLC in 2018, the Skyhawks improved by 10 wins overall from the previous season while doubling their conference win total from five to 10.

Roan began her collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at St. Cloud State, serving from 2015-17. Her numerous duties included assisting with practice and game day responsibilities, recruiting, academic success, social media and graphic design. She helped coach an NSIC Gold Glove recipient and the team received nine NSIC All-Academic and two NFCA All-Academic honors. Offensively the squad finished in the top five in on base percentage, hits, walks and runs scored. The Huskies also improved by six wins from her first to the second year, posting 32 wins in 2017 and finishing 5th in the NSIC. Both overall wins and conference finish was a then-best for the Huskies since rejoining the NSIC for the 2008 season.

A utility player and team captain for the Huskies from 2012-2014, Roan started all 78 games she competed in, collecting 55 hits, 29 runs scored, 26 runs batted in, nine doubles, and five homeruns while recording a .944 fielding percentage.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Elective Studies from SCSU in 2015, Roan received her graduate degree in Academic Administration and Leadership from SCSU in 2017.