Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/54462
COACHES BIOS COACHES BIOS FRESNO STATE SOFTBALL MARGIE WRIGHT .......................................................................................... HEAD COACH coached her 1,700th career game against No. 16 Stanford at the NCAA Regional (W 2-0). Six Bulldogs were all-conference – ty- ing for the fourth-most selected in a season in school history. Four 'Dogs were named to the NCAA All-West Region team while Mackin went on to earn Third Team All-America honors. Still further, two Bulldogs were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII team and one went on to capture Sec- ond Team Academic All-America honors. By Mackin earning All- America honors academically and athletically, she became the sixth softball player to garner both awards in the same season – a dual feat that has been done 11 times overall by a Bulldog soft- ball player and all 11 times have come under Wright's guidance. In 2006, Fresno State captured its third straight WAC title and ninth in 11 years after collecting a 37-19 overall record and a 12-3 league mark while notching a final No. 23 national ranking. Postseason awards saw five Bulldogs honored as All-WAC. Sweeping the WAC Player, Pitcher and Freshman of the Year honors, Fresno State swept these three honors for the fourth time in WAC history (2006, '04, 1999 and '98). Christina Clark, who became the league's first three-time WAC Player of the Year selection, picked up Second Team All-America honors and became the first Bulldog to be a three-time All-American at shortstop. She wrapped up her career by ranking in five NCAA Division I offensive categories, 12 Fresno State all-time marks and 11 WAC career records. Clark became the program's 18th professional draft pick and was named to the U.S. Women's Na- tional Team's World University Games roster. In 2005, the 'Dogs went 43-12 and notched a 17-1 conference record as they went undefeated on the road in league action. Southern was named the WAC's top female athlete of the year after receiving the Joe Kearney Award. This came on the heels of being named the Fresno State Female Athlete of the Year. As one of just three Bulldogs in school history to be a No. 1 profes- sional draft pick, Southern went on to garner All-America honors both on and off the field. She also became the fourth Bulldog softball player to be a four-time All-American. In the WAC, six 'Dogs garnered nine all-conference honors. Southern became the league's first four-time WAC Pitcher of the Year. She finished a brilliant career by ranking in nine of the 11 all-time NCAA Divi- sion I pitching marks as well as being the 10th NCAA Division I pitcher to amass 1,300 career strikeouts and to collect at least 118 career wins. In the final polls, the 'Dogs finished No. 15 in the final poll. In addition, Wright became the first Division I head coach to tally 1,000 school and Division I career wins at one school. In 2004, Fresno State won the WAC title (20-4) after posting an overall record of 48-20. The Bulldogs finished with a No. 25 ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll and No. 21 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll. The 'Dogs went on to collect five All-WAC selections that included the WAC Player, Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, respectively. Still further, Clark and Southern were First Team All-Americans while Southern also captured Third Team Academic All-America honors. Clark set the school's and WAC's single-season home run record in addition to a new Fresno State career mark in home runs. Southern led the nation in ERA for the second time in her career. In 2003, the squad finished with an overall mark of 36-22. Finishing second in the WAC with a 14-4 mark, Fresno State had six All-WAC picks as Clark and Southern went on to earn All- America honors. Clark became the 10th freshman overall, and first rookie shortstop, in school history to be an All-American. Fresno State bounced back from its slowest start in school his- tory (5-12) and went 29-8 in its last 37 and 41-10 in its final 41 games. The Bulldogs received votes in the final ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll at the end of the year to place 28th. In 2002, Wright led the Bulldogs to an unprecedented fifth straight WAC conference title and the first to win six WAC crowns overall. Southern became just the second freshman in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in ERA and the third rookie to notch 400 or more strikeouts in a year. Southern, who was named WAC Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, also was a Honda Awards Softball and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist. As a team, Fresno State was the top defensive squad in the nation after claiming the NCAA statistical champi- ons plaque with a .977 fielding percentage. The Bulldogs posted a final 50-20 overall record and went 18-6 in the WAC while post- ing a final No. 17 national ranking. The 2001 season saw Fresno State become the first program in the WAC to win four straight conference crowns. Finishing with a No. 22 national ranking, the Bulldogs posted a 39-19 mark in 2001 and collected a 13-3 WAC worksheet. In 2000, Wright entered the year as the all-time winningest ac- tive coach on NCAA Division I level. Wright became the NCAA's all-time career win leader on March 5 with a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma. With a final record of 54-14 and a No.10 national ranking, Fresno State was one of only nine schools in the country to post 50 or more wins; the 'Dogs also had two NCAA All-Amer- icans and two Academic All-Americans. Scott became the pro- gram's and the university's first four-time First Team All-American and picked up her second Academic All-America honor. Fresno State again led the nation in team and individual ERA. As the WAC's Joe Kearney Award winner for the second time as the league's top female athlete, Scott collected her second straight individual NCAA statistical title with a 0.41 ERA. Wright took sole possession of second place in NCAA his- tory in all-time career wins in 1999 as Fresno State captured its 12th regional crown. With a final record of 65-10, the Bulldogs finished in a tie for fifth place with Arizona at the WCWS and ranked No. 5 in the final national poll. Winning the WAC with a perfect 24-0 mark, Fresno State boasted the best pitch- ing staff in the country with a 0.51 ERA. The Bulldogs also had two of the top three pitchers in the coun- try, led by national ERA statistical champion Scott (0.24). The 'Dogs recorded the second-highest number of wins (65) in the nation and was one of only three schools to post 60 or more victories. Fresno State reset its own NCAA single-sea- son attendance mark (55,746) it established two years prior and recorded 18 new school records. Setting a school record in home wins (36), they also had seven all-conference picks, six all-region, the WAC's Freshman of the Year for the fourth straight season and five All-Americans. In 1998, Fresno State captured the univer- sity's first national team title at the 17th WCWS in Oklahoma City, Okla. Bulldogs, who went 7-1 in postseason, The NCAA TOP 5 COACHING RECORDS 1. *MARGIE WRIGHT (ILLINOIS STATE 1980-85; FRESNO STATE 1986-2011) 2. Yvette Girouard (La.-Lafayette 1981-2001; LSU 2002-11) 3. *Mike Candrea (Arizona 1986-2003, 05-07, 09-11) 4. Gayle Blevins (Indiana 1980-87; Iowa 1988-2010) 5. *Carol Hutchins (Ferris State 1982; Michigan 1985-2011) entered WCWS play as the seventh seed and defeated top seed Arizona (1-0), No. 2 seed Nebraska (6-1), No. 3 seed Michigan (8- 0, no-hitter in 5 inn.) and No. 4 seed Washington (1-3, 6-1). The '98 Bulldogs met top-ranked Arizona in the NCAA championship game. Scott, the WCWS MVP, shut down the Wildcats on three hits and struck out six for her 25th win (14th shutout) while Nina Lindenberg hit the game-winning shot in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to give the Fresno State softball program its first national title. Fresno State posted a final overall record of 52-11, including a 27-0 record at home, and finished No. 1 in the final USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches poll. Four Bulldogs earned All-America honors and six earned All-West Region and All-WAC accolades. And, for the first time at Fresno State, three Bulldogs garnered First Team All-America honors in the same year. Fresno State also boasted the Player, Pitcher, Freshman and Coach of the Year as the team established a new league record in conference wins (28). Still further, Scott captured the prestigious Joe Kearney Award and became the second Bulldog ever – male or female – to garner the award; she followed in the footsteps of Lindenberg, the university's first recipient in 1996. The 1997 Bulldogs made their 10th trip to the WCWS and tied for third with Washington. Wright guided the Bulldogs to a No. 1 ranking for two straight weeks before finishing No. 3 in the final USA Today/NFCA WRIGHT CONDENSED ACCOMPLISHMENTS BIG WEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS WESTERN ATHLETIC 2009, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996 WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT 2009, 2007, 1999 WCWS APPEARANCES & FINISHES 1998 - First place (NCAA Champions) 1990, 1989, 1988 - Second place 1997, 1992, 1991 - Third place 1999, 1994, 1987 - Fifth place 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989 PCAA 1987, 1988 NORPAC 1986 NCAA REGIONAL TITLES 1999, 1998, 1997, 1994, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987 COACHING HONORS International Women's Sports Hall of Fame .................................................................... (2005) First head coach to earn 1,000 school and career wins at one school ........................... (2005) NFCA Hall of Fame .......................................................................................................... (2000) First NCAA Div. I softball coach & 24th NCAA Div. I coach overall to post 1,000 Div. I wins ............ (March 8, 2002) NCAA all-time winningest coach .................................................................... (March 23, 2000) National Coach of the Year .............................................................................................. (1998) West Region Coach of the Year..................................... (1999, 1998, 1996, 1990, 1988, 1987) Northwest Region Coach of the Year .............................................................................. (1986) WAC Coach of the Year ................................................. (2009, 2005, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1996) Big West Coach of the Year............................................................................................. (1990) PCAA Coach of the Year ....................................................................................... (1988, 1987) NorPac Coach of the Year ............................................................................................... (1986) USA SOFTBALL 1998 1996 1995 Winningest CoaChes all-time • all Divisions by viCtories (MINIMUM 10 YEARS AS A HEAD COACH AT AN NCAA SCHOOL; INCLUDES SPRING VARSITY FASTPITCH RECORD AT FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES ONLY) Yrs. Won 32 31 24 31 28 1,421 1,285 1,272 1,245 1,232 Lost 519 421 276 588 418 Tied 3 Pct. .732 1 .753 2 .821 5 .679 4 .746 Winningest CoaChes all-time • Division i by viCtories (MINIMUM 10 YEARS AS A DIVISION I HEAD COACH; INCLUDES SPRING VARSITY FASTPITCH RECORD AT FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES ONLY) 1. *MARGIE WRIGHT (ILLINOIS STATE 1980-85; FRESNO STATE 1986-2011) 2. Yvette Girouard (La.-Lafayette 1981-2001; LSU 2002-11) 3. *Mike Candrea (Arizona 1986-2003, 05-07, 09-11) 4. Gayle Blevins (Indiana 1980-87; Iowa 1988-2010) 5. Carol Hutchins (Ferris State 1982; Michigan 1985-2011) Yrs. Won 32 31 24 31 28 1,421 1,285 1,272 1,245 1,232 1. MARGIE WRIGHT (ILLINOIS STATE 1980-85; FRESNO STATE 1986-2011) 2. Mike Candrea (Arizona 1986-2003, 05-07, 09-11) 3. Carol Hutchins (Ferris State 1982; Michigan 1985-2011) 4. Elaine Sortino (Massachusetts 1982-2011) 5. Eugene Lenti (DePaul 1980-87, 1990-2011) *Active coach Yrs. Won 32 24 28 32 30 Lost 519 421 276 588 418 1,421 1,272 1,232 1,129 1,102 Lost 519 276 418 470 527 Tied 3 Pct. .732 1 .753 2 .821 5 .679 4 .746 aCtive Winningest CoaChes • Division i by viCtories (MINIMUM FIVE YEARS AS A DIVISION I HEAD COACH; INCLUDES SPRING VARSITY FASTPITCH RECORD AT FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES ONLY) Tied 3 Pct. .732 2 .821 4 .746 6 .705 6 .676 2011 32 SOFTBALL 2012 1994 1993 1991 USOC National Coach of the Year in Softball; USA National head coach, ISF World Championship, gold medal USA Olympic assistant coach, gold medal USA Junior National head coach, gold medal; USA National assistant coach, Superball Classic, gold medal USA National assistant coach, ISF World Championship, gold medal USA National team coach for 1996 Quadrinium USA National assistant coach, Pan American games, gold medal PERSONAL HONORS 2008 2006 2005 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1989 1986 1979 1977 1974 Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame (1998 Fresno State Softball National Championship Team) Illinois ASA Hall of Fame (Moline Sexton Ford Women's Major); Fresno County Women's Lawyers Hall of Fame International Women's Sports Hall of Fame Winter Olympics Support Runner Babe Ruth Advisory Board NFCA Hall of Fame Illinois ASA Hall of Fame; Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame (coach) Illinois State Athletic Hall of Fame (1973 softball team); Top 10 Business Women of Fresno Decatur (Ill.) Athletic Hall of Fame First softball coach & clinician to represent USIA in Czechoslovakia 1987 Warrensburg (Ill.) Hall of Fame; International consultant for Latin American & Pan American Games; National Governing Body Assistant at U. S. Olympic Festival International consultant for Latin American & Pan American Games Illinois State Athletic Hall of Fame (pitcher) International Pro Softball Association's Rookie of the Year; All-Star Game Outstanding College Athlete of America Hall of Fame 33