Millie Thompson was named an assistant coach for Longwood softball in August. She begins her first season with teh Lancers in 2027..
Thompson joins Longwood after serving as an assistant coach at Virginia Wesleyan (now Batten University), where she helped guide the Marlins to the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's College World Series, and an Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament title, going 50-2 overall and 20-0 in conference.
A Bedford, Va., native, Thompson contributed to the development of the 2026 NCAA Division III National Pitcher of the Year and two NFCA first team all-American pitchers, while helping build the nation's top-ranked pitching staff in earned run average (0.68), WHIP (0.71), hits allowed per seven innings (3.99) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.62).
"Millie is a proven winner on the field, as well as in the dugout and on the recruiting trail," head coach Eric Oakley said. "I knew from the first few minutes talking with her that she was the coaching partner I needed to accomplish the goals we have set for our program. She appreciates the history of Longwood softball, is passionate about pitching, respects the game and has an excellent rapport with the players, teams and coaches in the region. From day one, she will make a huge impact on our team."
At Virginia Wesleyan, Thompson specialized in pitching instruction, bullpen management and game preparation while overseeing pitcher mobility and injury prevention programs. She also recruited, scouted opponents through video and analytics, coordinated team travel and academic advising, among other duties.
"As a Virginia native, I'm excited to join a program that I looked up to growing up," said Thompson. "Longwood has always been a familiar name in my family, as my dad is a Longwood graduate, making this opportunity especially meaningful. I'm honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the tradition of excellence at Longwood and hope to play a small part in the legacy the program continues to build."
Before joining Virginia Wesleyan, Thompson spent the 2024-25 academic year as a graduate assistant at Jacksonville. The Dolphins went 23-27 in 2025, including a 9-15 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference, qualifying for the league tournament. She assisted with player development, practice planning and daily team operations at JU.
A standout left-handed pitcher at Clemson from 2021-24, Thompson earned All-ACC Third Team honors in 2022, 2023 and 2024, was a four-time All-ACC Academic Team selection and a two-time ACC Honor Roll recipient. She helped the Tigers capture the 2021 ACC regular-season championship and NCAA regional titles in 2022 and 2023.
Overall at Clemson, she was 44-13 with a 1.85 ERA in 381 1/3 innings in the circle. Thompson is currently second all-time in Tigers' history in strikeouts (327), complete games (23), shutouts (10), starts (64), wins and innings pitched.
Thompson graduated summa cum laude from Clemson in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and tourism management. She earned her master's in organizational leadership from Jacksonville in 2026.
