Softball Staff Garners Regional Honor

NORMAN, Okla. For the fourth time in the last five years the Oklahoma softball staff has been named the Speedline/NFCA Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year. The award is testament to the remarkable postseason run that ended in a fifth consecutive trip to the Women's College World Series. The award had been previously awarded to the Sooner staff in 1996, 1999, 2000, and 2001.

For OU head coach Patty Gasso and assistant coach Melyssa Lombardi it is the fourth time they have received the award. For hitting coach Howard Dobson and graduate assistant Heather Heimbach it is the first time they have garnered the regional honor. It is the second honor for Director of Softball Operations Nickie Engelbrecht, who has been on staff since the fall of 2001. OU won the National Coaching Staff of the Year award in 2000 when it won the program's only national championship.

“I give the credit to the players and their never say die' attitude that kept us going throughout the season,” said Gasso. “They believed and trusted in the coaching staff. We overcame a lot of obstacles and that allowed us to compete for the national title. I know it was one of the most rewarding seasons of my career and I think the rest of the staff would agree.”

NFCA Release

The national honor went to Sue Enquest and the UCLA staff, which won its second consecutive national championship. Other regional winners were Seton Hall (Northeast), Florida State (Southeast), LSU (South), Michigan (Great Lakes), Notre Dame (Mideast), Long Beach State (West) and Hofstra (Mid-Atlantic). UCLA also claimed the Pacific Region award.

Gasso led the Sooners to a 45-22-1 record, which included a 4-1 performance at the Tucson, Ariz. regional where they sent then- No. 1 Arizona to the loser's bracket. Oklahoma went on to make its fifth consecutive appearance in the Women's College World Series, where they finished tied for fifth place. The Sooners jumped 15 spots to No. 6 in the final USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll.

The Speedline/NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year awards are voted on by NCAA Division I coaches following the completion of the WCWS. All of the regional coaches will be honored at the annual NFCA convention, which takes place the first weekend in December in Las Vegas, Nev.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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