Jeff Covalt was announced as the eighth head coach in Corban University Softball program history in July of 2024.
“We are very excited to be able to welcome Jeff Covalt as our new head softball coach,” stated director of athletics Bill Pilgeram. “Jeff is very serious about his desire to coach in a faith-based environment and enhance the mission of Corban University. He has been involved in the softball scene in several roles for a very long time, and his recruiting networks within the Pacific Northwest will be a huge asset to the program. I am confident that he is the perfect person to lead Corban Softball to a high level of both competitive success and impact for Christ.”
Notable Head Coaching Achievements/Statistics:
· Overall Record: 4-41
o CCC Contests: 2-25
· 1 CCC All-Conference Award Winners (2025: Foreman – Honorable Mention)
· 3 CSC Academic All-District Selections (2025: Banks, Quinones, Redman)
· 6 NAIA Scholar-Athletes (2025: Chavez, Jankowski, Banks, Pierce, Quinones, Robinson)
· 12 CCC Academic All-Conference team members (2025: Banks, Benjamin, Carattini, Chavez, Jankowski, Landis, Pierce, Quinones, Redman, Robinson, Vanterpool, Wood)
Covalt arrived on the NAIA scene with over a decade of experience coaching various age levels of competitive softball up and down the Willamette Valley. After graduating from Placer High School in his hometown of Auburn, California, Covalt traveled to Oregon and began seminary school at Dispensational Theological Seminary in Forest Grove.
Now rooted in Oregon, Covalt pursued his professional career in sales management and eventually co-founded his own travel ball club named the Northwest Vandals, who have since clinched a handful of both tournament and ranked achievements over the years. The club has secured two USA State Championships, a Western Nationals Championship, a Colorado Sparkler Runner-up, and multiple top ten finishes in the Triple Crown World Series and PGF Nationals. This past 2023-24 season, Covalt’s Vandals sponsored twelve different travel teams that featured student-athletes who ranged from ten to eighteen years of age.
In early 2023, Covalt kickstarted his own company once again when he saw a need in the local community, as he launched Northwest Sports Recruiting to give collegiate athlete prospects an opportunity to find a school that best fits their athletic capabilities, academic expectations, and long-term career goals. He and his group provide high school recruits with video editing services, personal recruiting advice, and networking with specific universities that fit each student-athletes’ needs and expectations. In two years, Covalt and his staff have helped over 50 athletes find their personal fit in higher education athletics.
Collegiately, Covalt has assisted for Clackamas Community College for the past three seasons and saw the Cougars finish as the NWAC runner-up program in 2023, and even volunteer assisted for the Warriors in 2024 when possible. At the high school level, he’s served as an umpire within the OSAA ranks for over three years and worked multiple high profile contests, including the 4A State Championship softball game. McNary High School had also welcomed him as the PA announcer for five seasons in various events and extended roles.
Married for 24 years, Jeff and his wife Julia have two children that each pursued college endeavors in baseball and softball, respectively, with his son Ty having played as a Warrior and now serves as an assistant coach for the Corban baseball program, while his daughter Abbi is playing out her senior season at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona. Jeff has also been teaching Sunday School lessons at his local church for over 25 years, working with both the youth and college age groups on a weekly basis.
“There is something special about being part of a team that prioritizes their relationship with Christ and spiritual growth, while also pursuing academic and athletic excellence,” shared Covalt when asked about why he accepted the position. “My family and I are thankful for Bill and the Corban staff/faculty for their continued support and encouragement throughout this process. I know we have a great group of student-athletes who are ready to represent all that it means to be a Corban Warrior. I’m excited for this role, this team, this staff, and for the future of Corban Softball!”
