Kaley Ness enter her second season as the head softball coach at Northern State University in the fall of 2025. She is the 12
th head coach in program history for the Wolves softball program. Ness joins NSU after spending the last nine seasons, including seven as the head coach, at Chadron State College.
In the spring of 2025, Northern went 13-36 overall and 7-21 in the Northern Sun. Three Wolves were named to the NSIC All-Conference teams including Tevan Bryant (first team), Madi Jones (second team), and Avarie Eagle (defensive team). Both Bryant and Jones grabbed CSC Academic All-District honors as well.
Ness took over the helm of the Eagles program in the spring of 2018, following two seasons as the assistant coach. The Mankato, Minnesota native posted one of the best seasons in program history in the spring of 2023. The Eagles went 27-26 overall and 25-19 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, reaching the conference tournament for the first time since the spring of 2019.
In her nine seasons at CSC, Ness has coached 28 all-conference student-athletes, including an RMAC Pitcher of the Year and Co-Freshman of the Year. The spring of 2019 brought the program’s first All-American award winner. In addition, the Eagles tallied 63 RMAC All-Academic recipients, two RMAC Softball Summit Award winners, three RMAC Gold Glove honorees, and NFCA Easton All-Academic recognition under Ness’ leadership. A total of 19 single season and 17 career records were broken, the Eagles advanced to four RMAC Tournaments, and landed on the NCAA South Central Regional Rankings in her CSC tenure.
Ness earned a Bachelor of Art in Exercise Science from Southwest Minnesota State University in 2015 and a Master of Science in Sports Management from Chadron State in 2017. As a student-athlete with the Mustangs, Ness started 107 of 133 games played, capping off her career with a .336 average as a senior.
Ness and her husband Brian have three children, Hadlee, Harper, and Hudson.
| Kaley Ness Year-by-Year |
|
|
Overall |
Conference |
|
| Year |
School |
W |
L |
W |
L |
Finish |
| 2018-24 |
Chadron State |
103 |
210 |
|
|
|
| 2025 |
Northern State |
13 |
36 |
7 |
21 |
14th |
| 2026 |
Northern State |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
|
116 |
246 |
7 |
21 |
|
