Kara Shutt joined the Terrier softball staff as an assistant coach in July of 2022 after two seasons with Mississippi. She enters her fourth season on staff in 2027 after being elevated to associate head coach in January 2025.
In Shutt’s third season as a Terrier, Wofford saw continued elevation in the program. The 2026 season saw the team post a 35-19 record with a 10-11 mark in conference play. The 35 wins set a program record and marked back-to-back seasons with 30 or more wins. The team secured the No. 4 seed in the Southern Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season. The offense showed continued growth as well, setting program records in every offensive category. Shutt guided the Wofford bats to a conference best .318 batting average, .409 on-base percentage, 92 stolen bases, 58 sacrifice bunts, and 16 triples. Wofford was top 50 in the nation in triples, stolen bases, sacrifice flies, sacrifice bunts, on-base percentage, fielding percentage, and batting average. Shutt helped the team to three all-conference selections, including a first team nod for Brianna Stanley and Desirae Devine. Addison Lucier was selected to the second team. Stanley set single season program records in hits (68), RBI (64), batting average (.412), singles (43), doubles (14), homers (11), total bases (115), slugging percentage (.697), walks (34), extra base hits (25), and sacrifice flies (4). Her 64 RBI were a conference best and the fourth-most in SoCon history. Devine led the team and finished second in the conference with 25 stolen bases. Addison Lucier was named second after leading the SoCon and ranking 32nd in the nation with a .544 on-base percentage – the second highest percentage in SoCon history.
Shutt’s first season as associate head coach in 2025 saw an elevation for the program with the Terriers notching their first 30-win season at 30-22. Wofford had an 11-8 SoCon record to be the No. 4 seed in the SoCon Tournament, a new best. Wofford remained one of the top pitching programs in the league with the SoCon’s best ERA at 2.19, which was fifth best in the NCAA. The Wofford offense took a leap forward from year one to year two, as the team batting average elevated from .228 in 2024 to .282 in 2025. The Terriers increased their hits total from 284 in 2024 to 394 in 2025. Home runs tripled from seven to 21, and runs scored increased by 30 from 172 to 202. Wofford was a threat on the bases with a league-best 84 swipes. Kaytlin Greenwood led the way with 20 steals, fourth in the conference. At season’s end, Margaret Axelson and Hope Ingle were honored on the All-SoCon First Team as Abby Greenwood secured a spot on the All-SoCon Second Team. The SoCon All-Freshman Team sported the trio of Rivers Sampson, Brianna Stanley, and Natalya Salo.
In Shutt’s first season with Wofford in 2024, the Terriers began their program with a 23-24 record overall alongside an 11-10 SoCon clip. Shutt aided head coach Chelsea Butler in guiding Wofford through its inaugural season to achieve many firsts, including a SoCon Tournament win over ETSU. The Terriers finished the regular season tied for fourth in the league and entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed due to tiebreakers. Wofford’s team ERA of 2.89 led the SoCon. Margaret Axelson was named to the All-SoCon First Team upon the conclusion of the season. Abby Greenwood, Kaytlin Greenwood and Megan Towery were all honored on the SoCon All-Freshman Team.
"First and foremost, Kara is a wonderful human being who exemplifies high character and a positive demeanor on and off the field," said Butler. "Kara has had the opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches in our game, and I know that her experiences, paired with her own coaching philosophies, will allow Kara to continue to shine. I am thrilled that Kara has decided to join our Wofford Softball family, and I know that our athletes are going to love being around her and learning from her. Wofford Softball got better today!"
Shutt spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant with Ole Miss from 2021-22 in which she helped the Rebels to a 41-19 campaign that concluded in the Los Angeles Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament in 2022. With Shutt on the staff, Ole Miss posted its fourth-ever 40-win season, and the 39 regular season wins tied for the program record. Her first season in Oxford in 2021 saw the Rebels post a 36-22 record with an appearance in the Tucson Regional, also advancing the finals.
Before joining the Rebel staff, Shutt was a graduate manager at another SEC program with South Carolina. The Gamecocks posted a record over .500 each of Shutt's two seasons in Columbia, the first of which in 2019 saw South Carolina advance to the finals of the Tallahassee Regional in a 38-19 campaign. The Gamecocks touted a 17-6 clip in 2020 before the season's untimely end due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Shutt was a key player on the Elon Phoenix as an All-American and three-time All-CAA First Team selection. The outfielder placed on the All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team in each of her final three seasons, and her senior campaign in 2018 was capped with an NFCA All-American Third Team nod and her second NFCA All-Region First Team selection. With 63 career doubles, Shutt is both the Elon and CAA all-time career leader. With 21 doubles in 2016, she set a single-season program record that she replicated in her senior season. Shutt hit .425 as a senior to set the Elon Division I program record for a season. A career .373 hitter, Shutt finished second on the Elon all-time hits leaderboard with 253.
As a freshman, Shutt wasted no time making her presence felt in the Phoenix lineup in 2015, driving in 44 RBI to set the record for most in a season by a freshman and finish second in the program's single-season record books. With a .331 average, Shutt earned CAA All-Rookie Team and Third-Team NFCA All-Region honors.
A native of Greensboro, N.C., Shutt graduated from Elon with a bachelor's degree in sport management in 2018 and earned her master's degree in the same field from South Carolina in 2020.
