Coach DeLong takes over the reigns of the University of Rio Grande softball program after a stellar four-year playing career at Bowling Green State University, where she earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Education.

Prior to her attending BGSU, she was a 12-time letterwinner at Hamilton High School.

Coach DeLong has an extensive playing career that dates back to playing wiffle ball with her mother and cousins.  She started T-ball at the age of four and played little league baseball for West Side Little League from age 5-12.  She played travel baseball for a year and then began playing fast-pitch softball at the age of 14.  In addition to playing at Hamilton High School, DeLong played for the Cincinnati Stars and the MIami Valley Xpress before moving on to Bowling Green.

DeLong has a wealth of coaching experience despite her young age.  She has coached the Miami Valley Xpress for seven years.  She spent four years with the Gold team as an assistant, one year with the 14-under team and will be going into her second year as the head coach of the 18-under team.

She also served as student-assistant at Bowling Green in her final year of college in 2009.   She has also spent time coaching basketball as well.   

She was born and raised in Hamilton, Ohio and is the daughter of Danny and Donjeana DeLong.  She has two brothers, Danny and Douglas.

"God has blessed me with many great talents and people have encouraged and inspired me to be the person I am today and follow my dreams to coach college softball," DeLong said.  "I don't think I could list all of the people that have helped shape me into the person and coach I am and intend to be."

Shannon Abbott is no stranger to Rio Grande softball as she enters her first season as assistant coach.  She finished a four-year playing career for URG at the end of the 2009 season.  Abbott left Rio Grande with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Education with a focus on AYA Social Studies.  She minored in Political Science a achieved a 4.0 grade point average.

Abbott is a native of Hamilton, Ohio and played four season at Ross High School.  She is the daughter of Greg and Lynn Abbott.

Along with assisting Coach DeLong, Abbott will be working towward a Masters' degree in Educational Leadership.

After graduating from Rio Grande, Abbott returned to Ross High School and served as the assistant for the junior varsity softball team.   She also coached at Ross High School softball clinics as a batting instructor. 

She currently resides in Boyd Hall on the Rio Grande campus.