OU Softball Coaches Named National Staff of the Year

July 3, 2000

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma softball staff was named the 2000 Speedline/NFCA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year, announced the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Head Coach Patty Gasso, assistant coaches Melyssa Panzer and Tim Walton and graduate assistant Jennifer Jaime guided the Sooners to a 66-8 record (the nation's best) and the school's first softball National Championship this season.

Gasso has just finished her sixth season at the helm of the Sooner softball program. She has guided each of her six teams to NCAA Regional play and won three Big 12 Conference regular season championships (1996, 1999 and 2000). In 11 seasons as a head coach, Gasso has never had a team finish lower than second in conference play. The Sooners' mentor has compiled a 303-101 record (.750) and coached six All-Americans at Oklahoma, including four this season. Through the 1999 season, she was listed ninth on the active Division I coaches list for best winning percentage.

Panzer has just completed her second season as the top assistant coach and her third on the Sooner coaching staff. The Glendale, Ariz., native played for Gasso from 1995-1996 and graduated from OU with a degree in health and sports science in 1997. Panzer, who works with the pitchers and catchers, guided the pitching staff to a combined 1.44 ERA this past season, the best in the Big 12 Conference.

Walton has been a part of the Oklahoma coaching staff for the past two seasons, working with the outfielders and serving as the hitting coach. This season's team broke virtually every offensive school record and ranked near the top nationally in several categories. The Cerritos, Calif., native played baseball for the Sooners from 1994-95 and was the winning pitcher in the 1994 national championship game.

Jaime, who is from South Gate, Calif., pitched at Oklahoma for Gasso from 1996-1998. She earned her degree in sociology from OU in 1999. Her primary focus this season was working with the pitching staff.

After Gasso and her staff were named the Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year, they were placed on the national ballot with nine other Division I coaching staffs. NFCA member head coaches then voted on the national staff of the year.

Gasso, Panzer and Walton were also named the Midwest Region Staff of the Year in 1999.

Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year

Great Lakes Region - (tie) Central Michigan University and Western Illinois University

West Region - Cal State Fullerton

South Region - University of Alabama

Southeast Region - Coastal Carolina University

Mideast Region - DePaul University

Mid-Atlantic Region - Hofstra University

Northeast Region - University of Massachusetts

Pacific Region - UCLA

Midwest Region - University of Oklahoma

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Softball Coaches Named National Staff of the Year

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