Fran Troyan begins his 16th season as head coach of the Lehigh softball team. As head coach, Troyan has an overall record of 505-270-5, a Patriot League record of 223-44, and he has led Lehigh to 13 Patriot League regular season titles, seven tournament titles, and six NCAA Tournament appearances. Under Troyan’s guidance, Lehigh captured eleven consecutive regular season Patriot League crowns from 1999-2009 and five of the last seven tournament titles. Last season Troyan led the Mountain Hawks to their tenth straight season with 30 or more victories, while picking up his milestone 500th career victory against Bucknell in April.
The 2009 Mountain Hawks captured their second straight Patriot League tournament crown and advanced to an NCAA Regional Final for the second time in school history. At the NCAA Regional in Gainesville, Fla., Lehigh posted victories over Florida A&M and Texas A&M before bowing to the eventual national runners-up from Florida.
Three years ago, Troyan picked up his 400th career victory and coached three All-League performers including Lisa Sweeney, who was the Patriot League’s Player and Pitcher of the Year, and an Academic All-American.
In 2006, Troyan guided the Mountain Hawks to a 43-14 record including a 19-1 mark in Patriot League play. The 43 victories established new school and league records for wins in a single season. Troyan’s 2006 team also made noise on the national level, twice knocking off No. 13 Texas A&M en route to becoming the first Patriot League team to win its first round NCAA regional game, the first to win two games in a regional and the first to advance to the regional finals. For their efforts, the Lehigh coaching staff was named the 2006 Mid-Atlantic regional Coaching Staff of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
A 1986 graduate of Allegheny College, Troyan earned his bachelor’s in International Studies and later received his law degree from The Dickinson School of Law in 1989. Troyan was an Academic All-America shortstop at Allegheny in 1985, a First-Team All-North Coast Atlantic Conference shortstop in 1985 and 1986, and competed internationally with Athletes in Action.
Troyan came to Lehigh initially as an assistant coach to his wife, Sue, in 1990 and became head coach in 1995. In his 20 seasons on South Mountain, Lehigh has won 16 regular season Patriot League Championships and ten Patriot League Tournament Championships. As head coach, he has produced 29 Regional All-Americans, including four in the last two years. He has coached two Academic All-Americans (Jenny Bender ’03 and Lisa Sweeney ’09) and 95 All-Patriot League selections. Troyan is a three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, winning the award in 1997 and 2005 sharing it in 2007. In addition, Troyan periodically provides legal advice to the Lehigh Athletic Department.
Fran and Sue reside in Bethlehem, with their daughter Katie (16), and sons David (13) and Matthew (11).