Stephanie Defeo

Biography

DeFeo joined the West Alabama staff in 2022 after spending eight seasons at the helm of the Mercer University softball program. Through her first three seasons at West Alabama, DeFeo has secured 103 wins, including 75 in the past two seasons. In 2023, DeFeo guided the Tigers to 41 wins which stands as the most wins in a single season in her career and the most victories in a single season in UWA history since 2008. West Alabama made an appearance in the GSC Championship Game that year, before making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. While at Mercer, DeFeo was the winningest coach in program history with a 217-195 record and was the only coach to win 200 games. Since taking over the Bear's program in 2014, DeFeo coached four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 2015 SoCon Pitcher of the Year Kirsten Stevens, and the 2018 SoCon Freshman of the Year Micayla Rood. Before Mercer, DeFeo served as an assistant coach at several institutions, including Purdue University, the University of Buffalo, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Southeastern Louisiana University. She also had stops as head coach or associate head coach at Ball State University, University of North Carolina Greensboro, and East Tennessee State University. As a student-athlete, DeFeo attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she was an All-American and completed a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.