NFCA di regional coaching staff of the year, NFCA, ncaa di, NFCA di regional coaching staffs of the year, James Madison university, Miami University, university of Oklahoma, south Dakota state university, University of Michigan, Virginia Tech, University of Washington, Duke University, UCLA, University of Arkansas

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ten programs were honored by the NFCA as 2021 Division I Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, the Association announced on Thursday afternoon.

Representing each of the NFCA’s 10 Division I regions, these respective coaching staffs – University of Oklahoma, University of Michigan, Virginia Tech, Miami University, South Dakota State University, James Madison University, University of Washington, University of Arkansas, Duke University and UCLA – garnered Coaching Staff of the Year honors. These 10 programs are eligible for the NFCA’s Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 24. 

NFCA Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year are voted by member Division I head coaches in each respective region. The voting window for this award was May 21 to June 2.


Central: 
Oklahoma
Overall: 55-4 | Big 12: 16-1
Head Coach: Patty Gasso
Associate Head Coach: Jennifer Rocha | Assistant Coach: JT Gasso | Volunteer Assistant: Erin Arevalo 

Reached WCWS Championship Series … Fifth consecutive trip to WCWS and ninth in last 10 years … Top overall seed for NCAA Championships … Battled out of elimination bracket to reach Championship Series … Big 12 regular-season and tournament champions … Top offensive team in NCAA DI, leading the country in every major offensive category … Just one of two teams in the NCAA with 100-plus home runs, setting a NCAA single-season record with 159 … Won 35 games via run-rule, outscoring opponents by almost nine runs per game.

Great Lakes: Michigan
Overall: 38-8 | Big Ten: 36-6
Head Coach: Carol Hutchins | Associate Coach: Bonnie Tholl | Assistant Coach: Jennifer Brundage
Volunteer Assistant: Marybeth Dennison | Graduate Manager: Karlie Milburn

Big Ten regular-season champions and regional finalist … 2-2 at Seattle Regional, posting one win over host and No. 16 seed Washington … Appeared in its 26th straight and 28th overall NCAA Tournament … Third straight Big 10 title … Ranked No. 20 in final regular season USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll … Boasts lowest ERA in NCAA Division I … Hutchins was named Big Ten Coach of the Year … Alex Storako and Lexi Blair earned league Pitcher and Player of the Year honors. 

Mid-Atlantic: Virginia Tech
Overall: 37-15 | Atlantic Coast Conference: 23-11
Head Coach: Pete D’Amour
Assistant Coaches: Doug Gillis, Mike Lewis | Volunteer Assistant: Andrew Stover

Reached NCAA Super Regionals and took No. 2 seed UCLA to three games … Swept Tempe Regional, defeated host and No. 15 seed Arizona State and BYU (twice) … Ranked 21st in final regular season USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll … Keely Rochard was named ACC Pitcher of the Year … Matched a program record with five All-ACC selections … D’Amour became the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 wins.

Mideast: Miami (Ohio)
Overall: 46-10 | Mid-American Conference: 36-2
Head Coach: Kirin Kumar
Assistant Coaches: Morgan Zerkle & Brandon Duncan | Director of Operations:  Joe Forney

Mid-American Conference champions for second consecutive season … Earned automatic NCAA berth and fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament … Set program record for most wins and fewest losses in a season … Posted 21 run-rule victories and Miami pitchers recorded 19 shutouts … Kumar, first-year head coach, was named MAC Coach of the Year … Boasted most (nine) all-conference players in program history … Led the Mideast with five All-Region selections … Courtney Vierstra and Karli Spaid were named MAC Pitcher and Player of the Year.

Midwest: South Dakota State
Overall: 43-8 | The Summit League: 21-1
Head Coach: Krista Wood
Assistant Coaches: Kristi Villar & Kiki Stokes

Made first-ever NCAA DI postseason appearance … Won their NCAA DI tournament debut with a 7-1 victory over Stanford … Steered Jackrabbits to most successful season in program history … Matched program record for victories, reaching the 40-win plateau for only the second time … Only suffered back-to-back losses once all season and was shut out only once … Set program mark with 73 home runs … Wood was named Summit League Coach of the Year … Cylie Halvorson, Tori Kniesch and Grace Glanzer were named Player, Pitcher and Freshman of the Year.

Northeast: James Madison
Overall: 41-4 | Colonial Athletic Association: 17-1
Head Coach: Loren LaPorte
Associate Head Coach: Jennifer Herzig | Assistant Coach: Libby Morris
Volunteer Assistant: Derek Sauder

National semifinalist … First unseeded program to win first two games and reach semifinals at WCWS … Posted 7-3 mark during postseason run all away from home … 2-2 at WCWS with wins over No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 5 Oklahoma State … Topped No. 8 Missouri 2-1 in the Columbia Super Regional … Swept the Knoxville Regional as No. 3 seed with wins over No. 9 Tennessee and nationally-ranked Liberty (twice) … Lost one game during the regular season … Won CAA regular season and tournament titles.

Pacific: Washington
Overall: 45-14 | Pac-12: 18-5
Head Coach: Heather Tarr
Assistant Coaches: J.T. D’Amico, Lance Glasoe | Volunteer Assistant: Whitney Jones

Super Regional participant for fifth straight season and 11th time in the last 12 … Hosted NCAA Regional as No. 16 seed … Rallied with two wins on final day against No. 20 Michigan to win Seattle Regional … Heather Tarr recorded 700th career win in regular-season finale versus Stanford … Gabbie Plain was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year … Ranked in the USA Today/NFCA DI Top 25 Coaches Poll top five all season.

South: Arkansas
Overall: 43-11 | Southeastern Conference: 19-5
Head Coach: Courtney Deifel
Assistant Coaches: Yolanda McCrae & Matt Meuchel | Volunteer Assistant: Annie Smith

Super Regional participant for second straight season, hosting for the first time in program history … Swept through Fayetteville Regional as No. 6 overall seed … SEC Regular Season Co-Champions, first league title for the program … First program outside of Florida or Alabama to win SEC regular season since 2007 … Started 12-0 in SEC play for first time in program history and swept five league series … Garnered program’s first two first-team NFCA All-Americans … Reached as high as No. 5 (highest for program) in the USA Today/NFCA DI Top-25 Coaches Poll.

Southeast: Duke
Overall: 44-12 | Atlantic Coast Conference: 26-10
Head Coach: Marissa Young
Assistant Coaches: Josh Bloomer & Jessica Bracamonte | Volunteer Assistant: Nicole Schaffer

Qualified for first-ever NCAA postseason, earned the No. 13 overall seed and was the top seed in the Athens Regional … Regional finalist, posting a 2-2 record … Captured first ACC title with a 1-0 win over Clemson in league championship game … Smashed program record for wins and also set team marks in several offensive and pitching categories … Nationally ranked all season, climbing as high as 11th  in the USA Today/NFCA DI Top 25 Coaches Poll … Young captured her 100th career victory on March 20 … Deja Davis became the program’s first NFCA All-American. 

West: UCLA
Overall: 47-7 | Pac-12: 19-2
Head Coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez
Assistant Coaches: Lisa Fernandez, Kirk Walker | Volunteer Assistant: Don Slaught

Made sixth-straight appearance and 30th overall at the WCWS … Swept through Los Angeles Regional as No. 2 overall seed … Rallied from a game-one loss to Virginia Tech to win sixth straight Super Regional … Won 11th Pac-12 title and their first solo championship since 2009 … Inouye-Perez was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year and Rachel Garcia earned Player of the Year honors … Owned 13 and 14-game win streaks in 2021 … Ranked top four nationally all year, including second since March 16 USA Today/NFCA DI Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Keep Your Coaching Pitch Perfect.

maxpreps, max preps, nfca partner, nfca cell wade, nfca partner, nfca bownet, nfca partner, nfca

For Those Who Know Even
Days Off Are Days On.

Learn About The Perks And Join NFCA Today.

Benefits Join Today