Championship softball coach Chris Brunson leaving Mt. Pleasant for Waynesburg University

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, June 28, 2024 | 2:44 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Championship softball coach Chris Brunson is making the jump to the college level as he leaves the Mt. Pleasant high school team to head to Waynesburg University.

Brunson resigned after leading Mt. Pleasant for the last six seasons and accepted the Yellow Jackets’ head coach position.

He replaces Brett Shimek, a former back-to-back PAC coach of the year who left the program on solid foundation. Shimek resigned after last season.

“I always wanted to get back in college coaching,” Brunson said. “In fact, when I left (Cal U in 2014) I told myself I’d be back in 10 years. I let my girls get older. It’s sad to leave. There is a good group coming up. I’m excited to get going.”

Brunson, who owns several Subway franchise restaurants, has been coaching for 20 years.

He guided Mt. Pleasant for six years — five seasons (no season in 2020 due to the covid outbreak) — and amassed a record of 72-33 with WPIAL and PIAA 3A championships in 2021.

The Vikings finished 21-3 that season, a year after going 19-2 with a WPIAL runner-up finish and a run to the state semifinals.

“We had some teams that weren’t blow-you-away type of teams, but we were still competitive,” Brunson said.

The athletic director at Mt. Pleasant from 2019-21, Brunson was a baseball assistant at Cal (Pa.), his college alma mater, for 14 seasons (2001-14), and he won a pair of PSAC titles, with two NCAA Division II regional trips.

He thinks his time as AD will serve him well at Waynesburg. He will begin team activities Monday.

“It will be like being a high school AD in a sense with putting the schedule together and things like that,” he said. “I think it will be a smooth transition.”

The Hempfield alum was a pitcher for the Vulcans.

“Chris has a vast amount of experience at the high school and college level and a true passion for coaching,” Waynesburg athletic director Tim Fusina said in a news release. “He is well connected to the area and will be able to not only maintain our level of success in softball, but enhance it to be one of the best programs in our region. We are excited to welcome Chris to Waynesburg and look forward to him continuing on our winning tradition.”

Brunson is taking over a regular conference contender.

Waynesburg has three straight 20-win seasons and played in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference final last season.

The Yellow Jackets have won two PAC titles and have made just as many NCAA regional appearances since 2022.

???????????????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????????????????????????????

Chris Brunson is the new head coach of @WUJacketsSB! #JacketUphttps://t.co/TcchIbS0xH pic.twitter.com/gS6RZ0B4Am

— Waynesburg Athletics (@WUJackets) June 28, 2024

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.