Kara Shutt '18 joins the Elon Softball coaching staff as an associate head coach as announced by Phoenix head coach Kathy Bocock in June 2026.
Shutt returns to Elon after serving as a member of the Wofford coaching staff for the past three seasons, including the last two as associate head coach. Shutt helped guide the Terriers’ growth since their inaugural season in 2024, as Wofford saw its win total increase each season, culminating in a 35-win campaign in 2026. This past year, Shutt guided the Wofford offense to Southern Conference-best marks in batting average (.318), on-base percentage (.409), stolen bases (92), sacrifice bunts (58) and triples (16). She also helped coach three All-Conference selections.
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Prior to Wofford, Shutt spent two seasons (2021-22) as a volunteer assistant at Ole Miss, helping the Rebels to a 41-19 campaign that concluded in the Los Angeles Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament in 2022. She also served as a graduate manager at South Carolina in 2019 and 2020.
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Shutt was one of the most decorated players in Elon softball history. In 2018, she became just the second All-American in school history and the second female All-American in any sport during Elon’s Division I history. A three-time All-CAA First Team selection, Shutt holds the school and CAA record in career doubles with 63, while also setting the program’s single-season mark with 21 doubles in both 2016 and 2018. She also batted .425 as a senior, setting the Elon Division I single-season program record. A career .373 hitter, Shutt finished second on Elon’s all-time hits leaderboard with 253.
A native of Greensboro, N.C., Shutt graduated from Elon with a bachelor's degree in sport management in 2018 and earned her master's degree in the same field from South Carolina in 2020.
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