Hood College

Terry Burdette has served as the head coach of the Hood College softball program since 2012.

Burdette's coaching career earned him induction into the Greater Washington Fastpitch Softball Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Alvin G. Quinn Frederick County Hall of Fame in 2016. He was selected to coach a team of Maryland ASA All-Stars in an exhibition against the U.S. National Team in 2014.

The past season tied the most wins overall since 2013 with a solid 23-18 record and eight conference wins the most since 2010. The teamed punched their ticket into the MAC Commonwealth playoffs and earned their first playoff victory since 2016 with a win over Alvernia 5-4 in the elimination game before falling to the eventual conference champions Messiah. Rebecca Gottleib earned First Team All-Conference and NFCA All-Region for her utility play and earning Hood Athletics Player of the Year honors. Kara Heidlauf with First Team and Jocelyn Pfleiger and Sam Larkin's Honorable Mention honors added to the decorated season.

In the 2024 campaign, the team battled the 2^nd toughest schedule in the region and won 14 games. Two second team All-Conference selections in Rebecca Gottleib and Jocelyn Pfleiger broke long standing records. Gottleib struck out 14 batters in a single game and ended her season with CSC Academic All-District and second team NFCA all-region honors while Pfleiger broke the career home run record and was the first in program history with multiple multi-homer games. 

The 2023 Blazers had four players receive All-Conference honors including Jocelyn Pfleiger, Rebecca Gottleib, Rachel Benden, and Chloe Saunders.  Pfleiger was also recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) with All-Region V Third Team honors. 

The 2022 edition of the Blazer softball program, produced 18 wins, the most at Hood since 2018. Pfleiger turned in a stellar season, earning NFCA All-Region V Second Team and Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Rookie of the Year accolades. The first-year student was joined on the all-conference squad by classmate Rebecca Gottleib and senior Cailyn Barthlow. 

The trio extended the string of consecutive years with and All-MAC Commonwealth player to 10 seasons, with Barthlow in 2021 and Kaitlin Barron in 2019 directly preceding the 2022 honorees.

In 2018, Burdette and his team won 19 games, qualifying for third straight conference tournament appearance. Kristy Erfurdt was honored as a member of the All-MAC Commonwealth first team. While Kristen Scott was named to the second team, and Sophia Leaman and Kayli Paugh earned honorable mentions.

The 2017 team made the MAC Commonwealth tournament for the second straight season and placed four players on the all-conference team, with Roo Saglimbeni earning NFCA All-East Region.

In 2016, Burdette earned MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year honors after the team turned in a 13-win improvement over the previous year and advanced to the MAC Commonwealth Semifinals. The Blazers tied for second in the MAC Commonwealth during the regular season. Hood led the conference and ranked 19th in Division III in home runs (30 total). Five players were named all-conference with Paugh earning a place on the NFCA All-East Region team. 

The 2014 and 2015 seasons resulted in more All-Commonwealth selections for Hood in Ashley Fourcade - who set the school's career home run record - and Erfurdt. Fourcade received the honor both seasons, with Erfurdt joining her in 2015.

His second season saw Hood post a 15-win improvement over his first year and the Blazers qualified for the Commonwealth Conference Tournament in their first year in the new league. Burdette's squad produced the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year in Ashley Fourcade, who was joined on the all-conference team by Casey Dunn, Amy Hagerdon, and Carly Farr. Hood led the Commonwealth with 22 home runs. 

In his first season as the Blazers' mentor, Hood qualified for the Capital Athletic Conference tournament for the fifth straight year and senior Kelly Gafner was named to the All-CAC Second Team.

As the head coach of the 18U Heartbreakers Junior Olympic Travel Team, Burdette won over 900 games from 1995-2019. His Heartbreaker squads amassed seven top-10 finishes in the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) and Protect Our Nation's Youth (PONY) Nationals, which included four top 3 finishes.

Burdette has mentored 101 players who went on to play at the collegiate level, including 45 at Division I programs. Among those outstanding student-athletes is former Blazer head coach, Kate Barrick, who in 2005 was lauded as the Atlantic 10 Conference player of the year while at Fordham University. Burdette also coached Iona College teammates Alison Higgs and Liz Hammel, who captured the 2004 and 2005 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) player of the year awards, respectively. In addition, Higgs went on to showcase her talents for one season in the National Pro Fastpitch League.

A native of Dickerson, Md., Burdette also served as the camp director for the Heartbreakers Softball Camp, which he developed in 1996.

Burdette has also offered his expertise as a clinician at pitching, hitting and coaching clinics throughout the Central Atlantic region, including the Softball Bash in Richmond, Va, and the NFCA Annual Coaches Convention. 

Burdette's previous collegiate coaching experience includes a three-year stint at Mount St. Mary's University. During his first season in Emmitsburg in 2004, Burdette primarily worked with the Mountaineer pitching staff, but assumed a more comprehensive team role in 2005 and 2006.
On the high school level, Burdette served as an assistant softball coach at nearby Walkersville High School from 1999-2002 and 2008-11 and helped guide the Lions to the Maryland 2A state championship crown in 1999.

Burdette received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Elizabethtown College.  He has been a member of the NFCA since 1995 and served on the executive board as the organization's National Travel Ball Representative from 2005-2010.  In 2015, he completed the NFCA Four Star Master Coach Program. 

Burdette and his wife, Barbara, reside in Woodsboro. They have six children: Jennifer, Amy, Lisa, Tara, Jimmy, and Bryan.