BREAKING: Nebraska Cornhusker Softball Head Coach Rhonda Revelle Crowned 2025 College Softball’s Philanthropy Icon—Honored for Life-Changing Impact, Humanitarian Efforts, and Generous Spirit Through the Rhonda Revelle Family Foundation’s Remarkable Community Work
By Jenna Hartman | June 13, 2025 | Lincoln, Nebraska
In an emotionally charged ceremony at the National College Softball Honors Gala in Oklahoma City, Nebraska Cornhuskers head softball coach Rhonda Revelle was named the 2025 College Softball Philanthropy Icon, a title reserved for those whose off-the-field impact transcends the boundaries of sport. At 62, Revelle has not only become one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history, but now, officially, one of its most compassionate and transformative humanitarian figures.
The honor comes in recognition of Revelle’s decade-long service through the Rhonda Revelle Family Foundation (RRFF)—a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting underserved youth, supporting female athletes, and enhancing mental health resources across Nebraska and beyond. Since its founding in 2015, RRFF has raised over $18 million, spearheaded more than 200 scholarship programs, and partnered with 60 public schools to implement youth mentorship initiatives and trauma-informed athletic coaching.
“Rhonda Revelle embodies what it means to be a steward of sport and service,” said NCAA Softball Commissioner Janet Albright during the award presentation. “Her commitment to young people, especially girls from marginalized communities, is saving lives—not just changing them.”
The most lauded of Revelle’s programs, Level the Diamond, has granted over 500 full-ride scholarships to high school girls across rural America who dream of playing softball at the collegiate level. In tandem, the foundation’s Game Mind Strong initiative has become a national model for mental health education in youth sports—training over 1,200 coaches and athletic staff in the past three years to recognize and address anxiety, burnout, and emotional trauma in teen athletes.
Former RRFF scholarship recipient and now Division I athlete Marisol DeLuna took the stage to present Revelle’s award. “Coach Revelle believed in me before anyone else did,” said DeLuna, her voice cracking with emotion. “She didn’t just give me an opportunity—she gave me dignity.”
Revelle, ever humble, accepted the award with her signature grace. “I never set out to become a philanthropist,” she told the packed ballroom of athletes, coaches, and dignitaries. “I just knew that softball had saved me once—and I wanted to be part of something that could do the same for someone else.”
For more than three decades, Revelle has been a force in college athletics, leading Nebraska to countless Women’s College World Series appearances. But as many now argue, her most enduring legacy may have little to do with strikeouts or trophies. It lies in the classrooms she rebuilt, the therapy sessions she funded, the cleats she bought for girls who had none.
“She’s the real deal,” said ESPN analyst and former Olympian Jessica Mendoza. “There’s coaching—and then there’s what Rhonda Revelle is doing. She’s building lives.”
As she left the stage to a standing ovation, Revelle clutched the crystal trophy engraved with the words Philanthropy Icon, tears in her eyes. “This isn’t mine,” she said softly, motioning toward the crowd. “This is ours.”
And in that moment, it was clear: Rhonda Revelle may coach softball, but her true game is humanity—and she’s winning it.
