Maddie Gibbs enters her fourth season as head coach of the Lander softball program in 2027 after leading the Bearcats to unprecedented success during her first three seasons at the helm.
Gibbs has compiled a 93-64 record since taking over the program ahead of the 2024 season, leading Lander to its first two NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. Under Gibbs, the Bearcats have recorded two of the program's winningest seasons and reached new postseason heights, culminating in the program's first appearance in an NCAA Southeast Regional final in 2026.
The 2026 season marked another historic campaign for the Bearcats as Gibbs guided Lander to a 35-21 overall record and a 16-11 mark in Peach Belt Conference play. The 35 victories established a new high during Gibbs' tenure and helped Lander earn its second NCAA Tournament berth in three seasons.
Lander opened the NCAA Southeast Regional with a 3-2 victory over Columbus State, giving Gibbs her 34th win of the season and surpassing her previous career high. The Bearcats followed with an 8-7 victory over Lincoln Memorial to advance to the regional final, the deepest NCAA postseason run in program history. Lander's season eventually came to an end against North Georgia after reaching the regional final.
The Bearcats also established themselves as one of the PBC's top pitching teams in 2026, finishing second in the conference with a 3.02 ERA while recording six shutouts. Offensively, Lander ranked fourth in the league with a .295 batting average and scored 291 runs.
Individual success accompanied the team's postseason run. Six Bearcats earned All-PBC honors in 2026, with Isabella Santos, Emily Allen and Mattye Geddings earning Second Team recognition at catcher, outfield and pitcher, respectively, while Bella Angeli, Reagan Hill and Samantha Bumgarner were selected at-large. Geddings was also named PBC Pitcher of the Week during the season, while Angeli and Hill each earned PBC Player of the Week honors.
Gibbs' first season as head coach in 2024 immediately raised the standard for the program. Lander finished 33-18 overall and 15-9 in PBC play, earning the program's first NCAA Tournament berth. The Bearcats recorded their first NCAA postseason victory with a 4-0 win over Anderson in the Southeast Regional.
That season also featured one of the most decorated individual campaigns in program history as Emily Allen became Lander's first PBC Player of the Year. Allen earned First Team All-PBC honors alongside Abbie Behe, while Raquel Camuglia and Bailey Pattison were named to the Second Team. Allen's honor followed her selection as the PBC Freshman of the Year in 2023, allowing Gibbs to help develop Allen from the league's top freshman into its Player of the Year.
The 2024 Bearcats also rewrote the Lander record book offensively, setting single-season program records with 60 home runs and a .497 slugging percentage.
Lander followed its breakthrough season with a 25-25 campaign in 2025. Allen earned First Team All-PBC honors for the second consecutive season, while Bumgarner and Hill received Second Team selections.
Across Gibbs' first three seasons as head coach, Lander has produced 13 All-PBC selections, including the program's first PBC Player of the Year, while earning two NCAA Tournament berths and three NCAA postseason victories. The Bearcats' 2026 regional final appearance stands as the deepest NCAA Tournament run in program history.
Gibbs originally joined the Lander softball program as an assistant coach in July 2020 and served three seasons in that role before being elevated to head coach following the 2023 season.
A native of Rincon, Ga., Gibbs came to Lander after serving as an assistant coach at Reinhardt from 2018-20, helping guide the Eagles to 77 victories across three winning seasons.
Gibbs also enjoyed a decorated playing career at Reinhardt, where she was a three-time All-Appalachian Athletic Conference selection and twice earned AAC All-Defensive First Team honors. As a senior, she was a two-time AAC Player of the Week selection, earned All-Region honors, and was named an NFCA First Team All-American. Gibbs also set a program record with a 23-game hitting streak.
Gibbs earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Reinhardt in 2017.
(Updated October 2026)
