Cori (Eckerle) Collinsworth enters her ninth season at the helm of the Panther softball program in 2025-26.
In her first year at the helm, Collinsworth guided the Panthers to a 19-17 overall record and a 7-9 conference mark. The Panthers' record in 2018 made Collinsworth the first coach in program history that produced an overall winning percentage above .500 in their first season. Collinsworth also guided Dabney Skutt to National Fastpicth Coaches Association all-region honors, an award a Hanover softball player had not received since 2002.
The 2019 campaign saw Collinsworth land three all-conference selections after propelling the team to a 13-21 overall record with a 6-10 conference mark. The success carried into the 2020 campaign with the Blue and Red garnering their best start under Collinsworth before Covid-19 cut the season short.
In the spring of 2021, Collinsworth propelled the Panthers to their first HCAC tournament birth since the 2016 campaign. Hanover posted a 12-19 overall mark, 9-7 HCAC record, landing three on the HCAC all-conference list. She also saw senior Brittney Ralston earn the prestige Millie Lemen Mental Attitude Award, while senior pitcher Lily Beurman was named a First Team HCAC selection.
The Panther success continued in 2022 as Collinsworth guided the program to their second consecutive HCAC Tournament berth after posting a 17-19 overall mark and 10-6 record in HCAC play. Cori was named the HCAC Coach of the Year for her efforts while five student-athletes garnered All-Conference accolades. Lily (Beurman) Compton also earned the Millie Lemen Mental Attitude Award, the second Panther to do so under Collinsworth's tutelage.
In 2023, the tradition continued as the Panthers secured their third straight HCAC Tournament berth landing four student-athletes on the All-Conference list, two nabbing First Team accolades. Kendra Hutchison also earned the prestigious Lexi Riggles Teammate Award.
The 2024 campaign saw two Panthers earn All-Conference honors after a late-season HCAC push. The Panthers finished among the middle of the league pack.
Hanover continued to make strides in 2025 with a 13-19 overall mark and a 9-9 HCAC record. For their efforts, she saw two Panthers earn All-Conference accolades and three named CSC Academic All-District.
Collinsworth comes to Hanover after spending seven seasons as a player and a coach at the University of Indianapolis, where the team appeared in the NCAA Division II National Tournament Regional, Super Regional and World Series rounds.
Collinsworth will build upon the recent success of the Hanover softball program, which has seen her land double-digit wins in her last three seasons.
Collinsworth spent the past three seasons as a graduate assistant for the UIndy softball program, which accumulated a 132-41 overall record during the span. The Greyhounds appeared in the NCAA National Tournament in all three seasons with Collinsworth on the staff, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2015. Collinsworth and her fellow UIndy coaches added 2015 NFC Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year to their resumes.
Prior to her coaching stint with the Greyhounds, Collinsworth was a four-year starter for the squad as a catcher and infielder, with the team accumulating a 184-44-1 overall mark. She was voted to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference teams on three occasions, while also earning 2011 GLVC Freshman of the Year honors. Collinsworth's freshman campaign also garnered her NFCA Academic All-American and second-team Midwest region awards.
Collinsworth graduated from UIndy in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree before furthering her education with a Masters of Business Administration degree in 2017.
Cori also serves as an NCAA OneTeam Facilitator and Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee.
She resides in Northern Kentucky with her spouse, Alesa Collinsworth and their two daughters.
