Twelve coaches were selected to form the USA Softball National Team Coaches Pool through the 2004 Olympic Games, it was announced Tuesday by the Amateur Softball Association.

All 12 coaches currently serve as collegiate head coaches -- five from the Pac-10, two each from the Big XII, Conference USA and SEC, and one from the Big West. The coaches selected for the pool are:

  COACH                           SCHOOL
 Mike Candrea                    Arizona
 Ken Eriksen                     South Florida
 Patty Gasso                     Oklahoma
 Michele Gromacki                Cal State Fullerton 
Karen Johns                     Florida
 Eugene Lenti                    DePaul
 Jay Miller                      Missouri 
Pat Murphy                      Alabama 
John Rittman                    Stanford
 Kirk Walker                     Oregon State 
Linda Wells                     Arizona State 
Teresa Wilson                   Washington 

The 12 coaches named to the pool will participate in the USA Softball National Team Camp, May 30-June 3 in Chula Vista, Calif. After the camp, the pool will be narrowed down to six coaches who will coach the two U.S. National Teams selected after the camp. The head coach for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Softball Team will eventually be chosen from among the final six coaches in the pool.

The ASA also announced that two-time Olympic gold medal-winning coach Ralph Raymond has been named as a special consultant to the USA Softball Women's National Team Program.

Click here to read bios of the 12 coaches who were selected. Click here for more information on Ralph Raymond's selection as special consultant.