July 1, 2010
One of the biggest names in NCAA bowling and the most decorated student-athlete in Vanderbilt athletic history has become the Commodores’ first assistant coach.
Josie Earnest, the two-time NCAA Player of the Year and four-time All-American, begins her new assignment as assistant bowling coach today. Her appointment was announced by Head Coach John Williamson.
“This is a major advancement for our program and present and future Commodore bowlers,” Williamson said in making the announcement. “Josie’s first-hand knowledge of Vanderbilt as a student-athlete combined with her international reputation as one of our sport’s rising stars makes her the ideal choice for this new position. We are grateful to our administration for creating this opportunity.”
Earnest was a five-time member of the Junior Team USA, winning a total of 19 Gold Medals in international competition. She was the state of Tennessee’s Female Amateur Co-Athlete of the Year in 2008, a first-team academic All-American and led Vanderbilt as a freshman to its first and only NCAA team championship in any sport.
“One of the things my parents instilled in me is the concept of giving back,” Earnest says. “Vanderbilt gave me many, many opportunities during my four years and now I’ve got the chance to share some of the things I learned. I am tremendously excited about this new opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”
Williamson said Earnest will become involved in all phases of the program, especially with recruiting and individual performance development. She is just the second full-time assistant coach in collegiate bowling.