North Andover, Mass. –
Elaine Schwager announced today that she will retire from collegiate coaching and step down from her position as head softball coach at Merrimack College following the fall season.
"I would like to thank Merrimack College, the administration, my assistant coaches, and all the student-athletes who made my experience here so exceptional. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the leader of the softball program for so many years. I am truly grateful for my time as a Warrior," Schwager said. "Coaching has been one of the greatest joys of my life—the thrill of competition and the relationships built will always stay with me. While I will miss the game deeply, I am excited to spend more time with my family and pursue a new business opportunity. This isn't goodbye to the sport, just the beginning of a new chapter."
Schwager recently completed her 18th season at Merrimack. She first arrived in North Andover in 2005 after six successful seasons at Suffolk University. In 2011, she guided Merrimack to its best season in eight years, finishing 31-23 overall and advancing to the Northeast-10 Championship and the NCAA Super Regionals after capturing the NCAA East Region 1 title. In her first stint with the Warriors, she was named Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year in 2009.
After returning to Merrimack in 2015, Schwager quickly reestablished the program as a contender. In 2017, she led the Warriors back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years, advancing to the sub regional final as the sixth seed in the East Region and upsetting nationally ranked Caldwell University along the way. That same season, she was named NE10 Coach of the Year after guiding Merrimack to its first-ever divisional crown. Over the years that followed, Schwager built Merrimack softball into a consistent presence on the regional stage. During the 2023 season her softball team became the first women's team to reach a Division I championship game. She concluded her Warrior career with 330 wins.
"I would like to thank Elaine for her dedication to Merrimack College and our softball program," said Director of Athletics
Joe Foley. "We appreciate her efforts and leadership over her 18 years in North Andover and wish her all the best in this next chapter."
Across her career, Schwager compiled 455 victories while achieving success at all three levels of collegiate softball. In addition to her time at Merrimack, she held head coaching roles at Suffolk University and Regis College. In 2022, she and her 2005 Suffolk softball team were inducted into the university's Hall of Fame. Schwager also served as head coach of the Croatian National Team for two seasons.
A national search for Merrimack's next head softball coach will begin immediately.
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