The University of West Alabama Department of Athletics announced the hiring of Meghan Darhower as Assistant Softball Coach and Rachael Maulorico as the graduate assistant coach.

“I am pleased and excited to have both Meghan and Rachael joining our staff,” UWA Head Coach Will Atkinson said. “They bring a lot of knowledge and experience about the game to our program. Their excitement about our program will be an asset and help us bring in high caliber student-athletes.”

Darhower comes to UWA after serving as assistant coach at Northwest Florida State College for two seasons. The Niceville, Fla. native served as the infield and hitting coach and helped guide the Raiders to the conference championship in 2009. While at NWFSC, Darhower was a member of the 2009 “Coaching Staff of the Year”. She coached three All-Americans, six All-Region players, six Academic All-Americans and 12 All-Conference selections.

Darhower played collegiately at Division I, Big Ten member Michigan State, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a cognate in coaching in 2008. Darhower started 196 games for the Spartans at shortstop or third base. While at MSU, she helped lead the team to its first Big 10 title in 2004 and etched her name in the record books.

Prior to her coaching career at NWFSC, Darhower served as a volunteer assistant coach at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. During the 2008 season, Darhower served as hitting and infield coach for the Golden Grizzlies.

Maulorico, an Overbrook, Kan. native, played collegiately at Henderson State and Oklahoma Panhandle State before suffering a knee injury that forced the end of her career. During her college career, Maulorico was a utility player, seeing action at third base and at catcher.

Maulorcio, who was an all-conference performer at Santa Fe Trail High School in Carbondale, Kan., earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business from Baker University in Baldwin, Kan. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Environmental Science.