Lori Sippel

One of the best pitchers in NCAA history was also one of the sport’s best pitching coaches. Lori Sippel spend 37 years with the Nebraska softball program before her retirement following the 2026 season. As part of the longest tenured coaching staff in Division I softball at the time alongside Rhonda Revelle and Diane Miller, Sippel was a part of 1,449 of Nebraska’s 1,629 all-time victories as either a player or a coach. 
 
Sippel started as an assistant coach in 1990 and was elevated to associate head coach in 2003. Sippel helped Nebraska set nearly every pitching record, while her pitchers often played the leading role in the Huskers 24 NCAA Tournament appearances in the 37 years she was a coach. Sippel also coached the outfielders. Sippel was a part of 18 conference championships and six Women’s College World Series teams as either a player or a coach. 
 
Sippel started in the circle from 1985-88 and was a two-time All-American for Nebraska. The first Husker to have her jersey retired, Sippel was a member of the inaugural Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class. She was also named the 1988 Softball Academic All-American of the Year. 
 
COACHING ACCOLADES  

• Helped 16 Student-Athletes Earn 21 Academic All-America Honors
• Helped Produce Two Olympians 
• Six-Time NFCA Midwest Region Staff of the Year (1998, 2002, 2013, 2014, 2022 & 2026)
• AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year (2002) 

COACHING ACCOLADES  - PITCHERS 

• Produced More All-Region Pitchers than Any Coach in the Midwest Region
• Coached 15 Pitchers to 31 All-Region Accolades 
• Coached 14 Pitchers to 31 All-Conference Accolades 
• Helped Produce Six All-American Pitchers 

COACHING ACCOLADES  - OUTFIELDERS 

• Coached 15 Outfielders to 21 All-Region Accolades 
• Coached 13 Outfielders to 16 First-Team All-Conference Accolades 
• Helped Produce Two Outfielders That Earned Three All-America Honors 

PITCHING NOTES UNDER COACH SIPPEL

• Helped Nebraska post an ERA lower than the national average in 26 of her 37 seasons, including 24 of her last 32 full seasons
• Helped Set More than 20 Pitching Records at Nebraska 
• Huskers average a shutout almost once every five games during Sippel’s tenure, and Nebraska has allowed one run or less in 40 percent of its games since Sippel became the Huskers’ pitching coach in 1990 
• In the last 30 years when awards were given out during Sippel's tenure, Nebraska’s pitchers averaged at least one all-region (31) and all-conference (31) selection (awards were given out 30 of the last 31 years) 
• 18 times Nebraska’s season ERA has been more than one run lower than the national average, while the Huskers’ average ERA is almost 1.00 lower than the national average during Sippel’s tenure
• In the last 27 full seasons, Sippel’s staff has posted an ERA under 2.00 15 times. During that time, Nebraska has ranked in the top 30 nationally in ERA 12 times, including four top-15 rankings in the past 12 seasons

PLAYING ACCOLADES

• Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee (Inaugural Class, 2015)
• International Softball Federation Hall of Fame Inductee (2005)
• Nebraska Softball Hall of Fame Inductee (1997)
• First Husker to Have Her Jersey Retired (No. 16 in 1995)
• Three-Time ASA All-American (1993, 1994 & 1995) 
• Three-Time ASA National Champion (1993, 1994 & 1995) 
• Member of Two Women’s College World Series Teams at Nebraska 
• CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year (1988) 
• Honda Award Nominee (1988) 
• Two-Time Second-Team All-American (1986, 1987)
• One of only two Husker pitchers to be a two-time All-American  
• Ended Her Career with 17 Individual Nebraska Records 

RECORDS SIPPEL HOLDS AT NEBRASKA 

• Lowest Career ERA (0.54) 
• Most Career Saves (16)
• Most No-Hitters (6)
• Most Perfect Games (1) 
• Most Complete Games (80) 
• Most Innings Pitched in a Season (245.22/1988)
• Most Strikeouts in a Season (285/1988)
• Most Shutouts in a Season (14/1988)
• Most Complete Games in a Season (29/88)
• Highest Win Percentage in a Season (.870/1987)
• Lowest ERA in a Season (0.37/1986)

TEAM CANADA ACCOLADES

• 16-Year Member of Canadian National Team 
• Coached Team Canada to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics 
• Softball Canada Jersey Retired (1999)
• 1996 Olympian 
• Softball Canada Hall of Fame Inductee (1993)