Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro enters her second season on the Florida coaching staff in 2026 with the primary duty of developing UF's pitching staff.
In 2025, the Gators made their 13
th Women's College World Series appearance as the the No. 3 National Seed. Florida's pitching staff combined for 10 shutouts, which ranked in the top-10 nationally.
Prothro came to the Gainesville after a two-year stint as the head coach of the Memphis softball program and spent the prior 12 years at Alabama as the pitching coach. In Tuscaloosa, Prothro assisted the Crimson Tide in winning the 2012 NCAA Championship in addition to three Southeastern Conference Regular Season Championships and two SEC Tournament Championships.
During her time as the pitching coach at Alabama, Prothro oversaw the development of National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans Montana Fouts, Alexis Osorio, Sydney Littlejohn and Jaclyn Traina. The talented group garnered a total of nine All-American awards, in addition to numerous other accomplishments, under Prothro during their careers.
The list of lengthy accolades that pitchers acquired under the tutelage of Prothro also includes four SEC Pitcher of the Year winners, a pair of SEC Freshman of the Year awards, 11 All-SEC selections, two All-SEC Freshman Team members and an NFCA National Pitcher of the Year that Fouts took home in 2021. Fouts won softball's 2023 Honda Award.
Prothro's pitching staffs also set records at Alabama as the 2017 staff of Osorio, Littlejohn and Madi Moore set single-season records for shutouts (27), fewest hits allowed (250) and lowest opponent batting average (.164), while her 2021 staff of Fouts, Kilfoyl, 2019 SEC Pitcher of the Year Sarah Cornell, Jaala Torrence and Krystal Goodman set the single-season record for most strikeouts per seven inning game (9.66).
Prior to her return as an assistant coach in Tuscaloosa, Prothro also served as the head coach at Samford during the 2011 season and at Birmingham Southern in 2009 and 2010, after she was elevated from being an assistant coach on the staff in 2008.
Prothro played for the Crimson Tide from 2003-06 and helped lead the program to a pair of SEC Tournament championships in 2003 and 2005, in addition to Alabama's first SEC Regular Season title in 2006. She earned SEC Tournament MVP honors in 2005 and was the 2006 SEC Pitcher of the Year.
While playing for Alabama, the program made an NCAA regional all four years and Super regionals twice after the format was adopted in 2005, as well as three NCAA College World Series appearances (2003, 2005, 2006).
A native of Chambersburg, Pa., Prothro was named an NFCA second-team All American in 2005 and 2006. She was also named the 2006 SEC Pitcher of the Year and was USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist. She also was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll four of her years at Alabama.
Prothro's other playing honors included 2003 Region VIII Tournament MVP, NFCA All-South Region in 2003, 2005 and 2006. She also earned all-conference honors each of her four years at Alabama and was named the 2003 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Prothro earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Alabama in 2007 and her Master of Arts from Alabama in 2020. She and her husband, Quintin Prothro, have a son, Julian, and a step-daughter, Skylar.
VanBrakle Prothro Coaching Timeline
| 2024-present |
Florida |
Assistant Coach |
| 2022-23 |
Memphis |
Head Coach |
| 2012-21 |
Alabama |
Assistant Coach |
| 2011 |
Samford |
Head Coach |
| 2009-10 |
Birmingham Southern |
Head Coach |
| 2008 |
Birmingham Southern |
Assistant Coach |
