Bio

Danielle Lowe is entering her ninth season as the head coach of the Oilers softball team in 2023-24. Lowe was hired to lead the Oilers softball program on July 27, 2015 and since taking over the program she has seen 28 of her players earn all-conference accolades, including nine first team picks. She has an overall record of 212-146 (.592) as the head coach of the Oilers. Lowe earned G-MAC Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons, winning the award in 2021 and 2022.

The 2023 campaign ended in the Great Midwest Tournament Championship game where they fell to Hillsdale in the "if-necessary game." The Oilers finished the season with a 33-16 record and a 15-8 mark in conference play. Under Lowe's guidance, the fifth player in program history was named D2CCA All-Midwest.

Lowe led the Oilers to arguably one of their best seasons in program history in 2022. The team captured their first ever regional berth in the NCAA Division II Softball Championship after posting a 38-16 record and an 18-4 record in conference play. Their 38 wins established a new program record for season wins, breaking the 1987 record of 35 wins. Under Lowe's guidance, two players were named D2CCA All-Midwest, only the third and fourth players to earn the honor, as well as a NFCA All-Midwest first team selection, only the second player in progam history to pick up the honor. 

During the 2021 season Lowe led the Oilers to a 23-18 record, a year after she guided the Oilers to a 12-6 record during the 2020 campaign, which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She finished with a 24-23 mark in 2019 and led the Oilers to a 29-22 record during the 2018 campaign. Her team reached the semifinals of the G-MAC Tournament that season and she was named the G-MAC Coach of the Year for her efforts.

Lowe led the Oilers to a 20-24 record in 2017 and an appearance in the GLIAC Tournament. In her first season in 2016, Lowe led the Oilers to a 31-21 record, the second-highest win total in school history. The team also reached the semifinals of the GLIAC Tournament for the first time in school history.

Lowe, a 2006 graduate of The University of Findlay, came to the Oilers after serving as the head coach of Urbana University from 2010-15. During her tenure with the Blue Knights, Lowe racked up 96 wins. Her 2012 campaign saw the team capture the NCAA Division II Ohio Independents' Championship and her 2014 squad posted a school record 28 wins.

Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Urbana, Lowe served as an assistant coach with the Oilers softball program from 2006-10 under Ron Ammons.

As a player at Findlay, Lowe earned all-academic honors from the GLIAC and served as team captain during her final season. She appeared in 122 career games, making 118 starts. She also registered a .253 batting average with 31 runs scored and 37 runs batted in.

The Jackson, Mich. native originally started her collegiate playing career at NCAA Division I Eastern Michigan University. She also served as the head coach of the Wizards Softball Organization out of Toledo, Ohio in 2008.

Lowe earned a bachelor’s degree in integrated mathematics AYA education from Findlay in 2006. She also completed her master’s degree in education from UF in 2008.

Lowe is married to Kyle Thwaits. They have three daughters, Kenley, Kori, and Kaylor, and one son, Kalen.