07-11-2017, 07:45 PM
Regarding possible candidates to pursue, I agree with Bob that Jessica Allister would be my top "realistic" choice. My top choice would be Lonnie Alameda at Florida State, but she is coaching a professional softball team in Florida in addition to her duties at FSU, so I don't think that is realistic. In addition to Coach Allister, if I were in the AD, I would look at other coaches out of the Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC, who would probably jump at the opportunity to coach in a top 2 conference, with a much better path to the NCAA tournament and great resources.
In some order, I would look at Tyra Perry at Illinois (we have already hired one coach within the last year from Illinois). Coach Perry has taken a program that had missed six consecutive tournaments prior to her arrival, with no softball history, and made the NCAA's each of the last two years. This year, Illinois was a No.2 seed and made a regional final.
I would also look at Kenny Gajewski at Oklahoma State. Similar to Coach Perry, Coach Gajewski revived a program that was in pretty bad shape and has taken Ok State to two consecutive NCAA's. OSU nearly knocked off No.1 overall seed and national runner-up Florida on the road, taking the Gators to a decisive third game in the regional final.
I would also look at Deanna Gumpf at Notre Dame. In sixteen years at ND, she has compiled a .719 winning percentage, and made the tournament all sixteen years (hosting twice), which is really impressive for a "cold-weather" school, where scheduling early season games can be challenging. She recruits extremely well, and has a very good 2019 class, with three Top 20 players. However, Notre Dame has not advanced past the regional round in any of those appearances. Given the amount of time that Coach Gumpf has been at ND, I don't know how realistic this would be.
I would also look at Kelly Kovach at Ohio State. She has Ohio State on the rise, making the tournament in each of the last two seasons. Ohio State also received a No.2 seed in 2017, though they did go 0-2 in the regional round.
Within the Pac-12, one could look at Coach Laura Berg at Oregon State, Coach Hogue at Utah or Coach Ford at ASU. Of the three, I think Coach Berg would be the only realistic choice. I am higher on some of the other coaches above than I am on Coach Berg, but she has made three NCAA's in five years at Oregon State, which probably has the least amount of resources in the Pac-12.
In some order, I would look at Tyra Perry at Illinois (we have already hired one coach within the last year from Illinois). Coach Perry has taken a program that had missed six consecutive tournaments prior to her arrival, with no softball history, and made the NCAA's each of the last two years. This year, Illinois was a No.2 seed and made a regional final.
I would also look at Kenny Gajewski at Oklahoma State. Similar to Coach Perry, Coach Gajewski revived a program that was in pretty bad shape and has taken Ok State to two consecutive NCAA's. OSU nearly knocked off No.1 overall seed and national runner-up Florida on the road, taking the Gators to a decisive third game in the regional final.
I would also look at Deanna Gumpf at Notre Dame. In sixteen years at ND, she has compiled a .719 winning percentage, and made the tournament all sixteen years (hosting twice), which is really impressive for a "cold-weather" school, where scheduling early season games can be challenging. She recruits extremely well, and has a very good 2019 class, with three Top 20 players. However, Notre Dame has not advanced past the regional round in any of those appearances. Given the amount of time that Coach Gumpf has been at ND, I don't know how realistic this would be.
I would also look at Kelly Kovach at Ohio State. She has Ohio State on the rise, making the tournament in each of the last two seasons. Ohio State also received a No.2 seed in 2017, though they did go 0-2 in the regional round.
Within the Pac-12, one could look at Coach Laura Berg at Oregon State, Coach Hogue at Utah or Coach Ford at ASU. Of the three, I think Coach Berg would be the only realistic choice. I am higher on some of the other coaches above than I am on Coach Berg, but she has made three NCAA's in five years at Oregon State, which probably has the least amount of resources in the Pac-12.