Youngstown, Ohio – Youngstown State Head Softball Coach Brian Campbell, the all-time winningest coach in program history, has announced his retirement after a 30-year college coaching career, including the last 18 seasons at the helm of the Penguins.

Campbell led the Penguins to 435 victories from 2009-26 with three Horizon League regular-season championships and a 210-181 record in conference action. He retires with a 26-year head coaching career record of 720-587-2 after winning 285 games at Tiffin University from 2001-08. He also spent four years as an assistant coach at Tiffin.

"It has been an honor to be the Head Coach of the Youngstown State softball program for 18 years," Campbell said. "I want to thank Ron Strollo for giving me the opportunity to lead the program back in 2008. I deeply appreciate the hard work and dedication all of the assistant coaches that have worked with me over the course of my time here at YSU.

"I also want to YSU Presidents David Sweet, Cynthia Anderson, Randy Dunn, Jim Tressel, and Bill Johnson for their leadership over the past 18 years. Most importantly, I want to thank all of the student-athletes that I had the privilege and opportunity to coach at Youngstown State."

 While leading the Penguins, Campbell coached 48 All-Horizon League picks, five freshmen/newcomers of the year, three pitchers of the year and three players of the year, and eight National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selections.

"I want to thank Coach Campbell for his dedication to our softball program and appreciate his service to our student athletes," Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo said. "We are so proud of the experience our student-athletes received, not only in building a championship-caliber program, but also the first-class manner he and his teams always represented our University and Athletics Department on the field, in the classroom, and in the community."

The Penguins flourished under Campbell since the construction of the on-campus YSU Softball Field in the Covelli Sports Complex in 2014. He led Youngstown State to an overall record of 343-308 and a 174-106 in Horizon League play during that stretch. In 12 full seasons (not including the 2020 COVID-19 shortened year), the Penguins averaged 27.9 wins per year and posted seven 30-win campaigns.

 Youngstown State also owned a 145-80 record in 225 games in its on-campus facility for a .644 winning percentage under Campbell. YSU secured its 100th victory at the complex with a 5-2 victory over Green Bay on April 23, 2022. Youngstown State also owned a 95-48 mark (.664) in Horizon League regular-season games played at the YSU Softball Field. Since 2021, the Penguins went 55-22 in conference regular-season contests played on their turf.

During the 2026 season, Campbell guided the Penguins to their third Horizon League Regular-Season Championship with a 14-4 league record and an overall mark of 31-20. It marked the seventh time under Campbell's direction the Penguins won at least 30 games in a season. Campbell also won his 700th career game on March 7, 2026, against Le Moyne.

This season, the Penguins set single-season records for highest batting average (.338), most runs scored (380), most hits (472), most doubles (82), most runs batted in (344), most total bases (727), highest slugging percentage (.518), and highest on-base percentage (.418). Youngstown State set a program-record with six players on the All-League Teams, including four on the first team and one on both the second team and third team, in Campbell's final season.

The Penguins captured their second conference championship in four seasons after posting a 20-4 Horizon League record and tying the school record for most wins with 36 in 2024. Campbell was tabbed the Horizon League Coach of the Year for the third time.

Campbell led the Penguins to the program's first conference regular-season championship in 2021 after posting a 28-8 Horizon League record and a 36-15 overall mark. That year, the Youngstown State pitching staff recorded 377 strikeouts, which ranks third on the single-season list. The Penguins' team earned-run average of 2.37 was the lowest since a 1.95 ERA in 2004.

Campbell was inducted into the Tiffin Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, and he has coached 13 players that were inducted into their school's Hall of Fame. He coached nine hall-of-fame players at Tiffin and four at Youngstown State - Jordan Ingalls (2009-12), Haley Thomas (2009-12), Vicky Rumph (2010-13), and Casey Crozier (2011-14).

Campbell, the 2012, 2021, 2024 and 2026 Horizon League Coach of the Year, was named the ninth Head Coach of the Youngstown State softball program in June 2008 and became the program's all-time wins leader after collecting his 208th win at Youngstown State on March 10, 2018, with an 11-5 win over North Carolina A&T.