WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Aug. 27) – The Waynesburg University Department of Athletics is thrilled to welcome back an old friend to guide the Yellow Jacket softball team. Brett Shimek, who led Waynesburg to three-straight trips to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championship game and two titles during his first stint with the Jackets, is back to head the Orange and Black.
 
"Brett expressed interest in coming back to be our softball coach and it was a no-brainer," said Waynesburg Director of Athletics and Head Basketball Coach Tim Fusina. "When you have a coach who was as successful as he was here wanting to come back, you make that move every time." 
 
Shimek arrived at Waynesburg in 2019 and inherited a team that hadn't had a winning season since 1994. By the time the 2022 season came to an end, Waynesburg boasted a 27-11 overall mark, the second-best record in the PAC (13-5) and the program's first conference title since 1993. Things only got better in 2023, when Shimek and long-time assistant Matt Tedrow, who joined his long-time friend in the Jacket dugout in 2019, guided the squad to a program-record 29-10 record, a 15-5 PAC mark and a second-straight league title.
 
The Jackets just missed out on a three-peat and a third-straight trip to the NCAA Division III Championship tournament when they dropped a heart-breaking 1-0 loss in the 2024 PAC championship game.
 
By the time Shimek stepped away, he had accumulated a 100-95 overall record and was twice named PAC Coach of the Year.
 
"I think more than anything, we were able to create a culture where the players genuinely cared about one another and believed in what we were trying to accomplish together," Shimek said. "Obviously, you want to win games and compete for championships, but we always believed that if we built the right culture first, success on the field would follow."
 
Prior to turning the Jackets into a PAC powerhouse, Shimek was an assistant coach at nearby Waynesburg Central High School from 2015 to 2018 and also served as head coach of the Margaret Bell Miller Middle School team in 2013 and 2014. In each of his four years with the Raiders, they qualified for the WPIAL playoffs, including a trip to the quarterfinal round in 2018.
 
Before his coaching work in the Central Greene School District, Shimek began his time with the local travel teams in 2010 as the president and head coach of the Waynesburg Dirt Dawgs. In 2012, he took a position as the assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Power. The following year (2013) he moved up to head coach of the Power, before becoming an assistant coach with the PA Lady Knights in 2014.
 
The Lady Knights were crowned National Softball Association champions in 2015, following a runner-up performance in 2014. From 2014 to 2018, the Knights built up an impressive 223-15 record while working predominantly with players from Washington and Greene counties. During that same stretch, Shimek and the rest of the program's administration grew it from one team to five.
 
Shimek's softball administrative experience stretches back even further to the first decade of the millennium. From 2007 to 2010 he spent time as both the president and vice-president of the Waynesburg Girls Softball Association. During his two years as president (2009-2010), Shimek helped raise $20,000 for the organization, all while also serving as president of the Mason-Dixon Girls Softball Association.
 
"Mostly, I'm just grateful for the opportunity. I don't take for granted the chance to come back to a place and a program that mean so much to me," Shimek said. "I'd like to thank Tim Fusina, Adam Jack and President Lee for the opportunity and for (Sports Information Director) Bobby Fox reaching out to me to start the conversation. I feel rejuvenated and genuinely excited to get back to work."

Shimek's playing resume is just as impressive as his coaching/administrative background. After lettering four years on the Waynesburg Central baseball team (1989-1992), as well as gathering four letters on the golf team and two more on the wrestling squad, he competed for two years at Penn State Beaver (1993-1994). Both years at Beaver, he was named first-team Junior College All-American as a catcher.

Shimek then moved on to California University (Pa.), where he was lauded as a two-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honoree. After wrapping up his collegiate playing days, the Waynesburg native graduated with a degree in Parks and Recreation Management.
 
"I am looking forward to working with Brett and I know his athletes will enjoy it as well," Fusina said. "He is a great coach and we are excited about what the future holds for our softball program."
 
There are several members the 2024 softball freshman class that are expected to compete as seniors this spring, giving them a second go-around with Shimek. He is also thrilled to reunite with arguably his most well-known former player in a different capacity.
 
"I watched Sydney (Wilson) develop as a player, competitor and leader, and I know first-hand what she brought to our program. She understands the expectations and culture of Waynesburg University softball because she lived it as a player. Now she has the opportunity to impact another generation of players as a coach," Shimek said. "Having Matt and Sydney alongside me makes coming back even more exciting. Matt was such an important part of what we built previously, and Sydney was one of the players who helped bring that vision to life on the field. Now we get an opportunity to work together and figure out what the next chapter of Waynesburg University softball can become."
 
However, Shimek had made it clear that his players and coaches aren't looking to relive the past.
 
"I'm coming back with a different perspective than I had the first time. Having two years away gave me an opportunity to reflect and appreciate coaching, the relationships with the players and the experience of being part of a college program in a different way," Shimek said. "There are obviously expectations because of what this program has accomplished, but I don't want our focus to simply be on recreating the past. I want us to honor what has been built while continuing to move the program forward."