UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - Saginaw Valley State University has hired Todd Buckingham as head softball coach. The Indiana native joins the Cardinal family after spending the past six seasons as head coach at Indiana University Southeast.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Todd to SVSU, and for him to take the leadership reigns of our softball program," said Mike Watson, SVSU director of athletics. "He brings great passion, energy and character to our program and will represent SVSU with pride!"

Buckingham spent the past six seasons at IU Southeast after being named the first head coach in school history in 2006. He amassed a 186-111 record while leading the school to six straight Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and three NAIA Postseason appearances, including an Elite 8 appearance in 2012. He was named KIAC Coach of the Year twice and NAIA Regional Coach of the Year in 2008.  During his 11 seasons in collegiate softball, Buckingham compiled a 263-252 overall record in his stops at IU Southeast and Bluefield State College in West Virginia. 

"I am excited and honored to represent Saginaw Valley State University as its new head softball coach," said Buckingham. "I am thankful for the opportunity that Mike Watson and the search committee gave me to be able to lead this program with such a deep and rich tradition."

During his six seasons at IU Southeast, Buckingham coached 30 of his former players to all-conference awards and three to NAIA Academic All-American accolades.

Before taking over at IU Southeast, Buckingham coached at Bluefield State College, an NCAA Division II program, for five seasons. While there, he set the career record for softball coaching victories and led the program to its first winning season in school history. He was named the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Coach of the Year in 2005.

Buckingham also served as one of two coaches for USA Athletes International, Inc. He took a team of U.S. softball players to Spain in the summer of 2008 and traveled to Australia in 2009 and 2010.

A native of Corydon, Ind., Buckingham completed a bachelor's degree in biology education at Olivet Nazarene University in 1998. Prior to entering college coaching, he taught science at South Central Junior/Senior High School in Elizabeth, Ind. for one year and then taught science and math at St. Joseph School in Corydon, Ind. from 1999 to 2001.