The 2017 season will be the eighth for head coach Ashley Winter. In the past seven seasons, Winter has coached 30 Academic All-Conference selections, 17 All-Conference selections, four All-Region selections and one All-American.
In 2012, Winter led the Duhawks to a 20-18 mark, which was the first 20-win season since 2005. During the 2015 season, the Duhawks just missed the 20-win mark, finishing with 19 wins on the year. Winter has led Loras to three appearances in the Iowa Conference Tournament, which included the program's first tournament win in the 2011 season. From 2012-14, Winter served as the IIAC representative on the Regional Advisory Committee.
In July 2009, Winter was named the Iowa Conference’s nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. In 2011, she was inducted into the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Softball Hall of Fame.She was also named to the Wahlert Catholic High Scholl Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
A graduate of Wahlert High School and Wartburg College, where she completed a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing. During her softball playing career with the Knights, she was a first team All-Iowa Conference selection in 2008 and a two-time second team pick as a first baseman. In her final season, Winter hit .400 and was in the top-five in the IIAC in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs and homeruns. Winter helped Wartburg advance to the NCAA Tournament in three of her four seasons.
In addition to her time on the diamond, Winter was also a four-year member of the Knights volleyball team where she was a first team All-Iowa Conference selection each season from her middle hitter position. As a senior, Winter was the league MVP and first team All-American, setting the all-time kills record in the process.
Ashley resides in Dubuque with her husband, Bud.