Patty Gasso

Patty Gasso
Sport(s) Softball
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Oklahoma
Conference Big 12
Biographical details
Born (1962-05-27) May 27, 1962
California
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1991–1994 Long Beach City College
1995–present Oklahoma
Head coaching record
Overall 1029–305–2 (.771)[1]

Patricia M. "Patty" Gasso (born May 27, 1962) is an American softball coach. She has been the head softball coach at the University of Oklahoma since 1995. She led the University of Oklahoma softball team to a national championship in 2000, 2013, and 2016, and has compiled a career record of 1029–305–2 and a winning percentage of .771.

Early years

Gasso grew up in Torrance, California. She played softball at California State University, Long Beach.[2][3] She also coached softball at Long Beach City College from 1990 to 1994, compiling a record of 161–59–1.[4][5][6]

Oklahoma

In 22 years at the University of Oklahoma, she has compiled a record of 1029–305–2 and a winning percentage of .765.[7] Her teams have advanced to the Women's College World Series nine times and won the national championship in 2000, 2013, and 2016.[2][8] Her winning percentage of .765 ranks among the highest all-time among college softball coaches with at least 800 career wins.[7][9]

In 1999, the University of Oklahoma won its third Big 12 Conference championship in five years at Oklahoma, but financial difficulties nearly ended her tenure following the 1999 season. Gasso noted:

Money was tight, and my husband, Jim, had actually gone back to California because it was hard to find a job here at the time. So here I was raising our two children and trying to coach a Division-I softball program, which was very demanding of my time and energy.[6]

Gasso remained in Oklahoma for the 2000 season despite her husband's return to California.[6] The 2000 University of Oklahoma team compiled a record of 66–8 and defeated UCLA three games to one in the Women's College World Series to win the Sooners' first national softball championship.[10]

Following the national championship in 2000, the University of Oklahoma gave Gasso "a significant salary hike," and her husband was able to return to Oklahoma.[6] Over the next 12 years, Gasso built the Sooners into a national softball power, winning over 40 games every year. The 2001 team finished with a 50–9 record, and the 2007 team finished 55–8.[7]

Gasso's 2012 team advanced to the finals of the Women's College World Series but lost the national championship in a close series against Alabama.[8][11] The 2012 team finished its season with a 54–10 record.[7] In late June 2012, the Oklahoma University Board of Regents extended Gasso's contract through the 2017 season.[12][13]

Gasso was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame in 2012.[5][14]

Patty Gasso reached a milestone on March 27, 2013 she got wins No. 900 and 901 since being the head coach at OU in a sweep of the Wichita State Shockers. The Sooners won game 1 of the doubleheader 7-1 and took the second game 16-1.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Record is limited to Division I and does not include Gasso's coaching record at Long Beach City College: 161–59–1.
  2. 1 2 "Patty Gasso". Oklahoma University.
  3. ↑ "500 wins for Gasso, 500 more to go". the Oklahoma Daily. February 25, 2005.
  4. ↑ "Softball Hall of Fame". City of Long Beach.
  5. 1 2 "Former LBCC Coach Gasso to be inducted into NFCA Hall of Fame". Long Beach City College.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Jay C. Upchurch (Summer 2009). "Building a Perennial Power". Sooner Magazine.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Softball Coaches Career". NCAA.com. Retrieved July 16, 2012.(Enter "gasso" in the "Last Name" box and click the "Coach" button to retrieve Gasso's career record.)
  8. 1 2 Jeff Johncox (June 7, 2012). "Sooners fall short in bid for national title". Muskogee Phoenix.
  9. ↑ "NCAA Softball Coaching Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved June 16, 2012.(Since the 2011 compilation was published, Gasso's winning percentage as reflected in the preceding NCAA database has risen from .753 to .757.)
  10. ↑ "Sooners whip Bruins, 3–1, claim national softball title". Altus Times (AP story). May 30, 2000. p. 3.
  11. ↑ "Softball: Patty Gasso becomes emotional talking about her team". OU Sports. June 7, 2012.
  12. ↑ "OU Board Of Regents Approves Several Raises And Extensions". News9.com. June 26, 2012.
  13. ↑ Silas Allen (June 26, 2012). "University of Oklahoma coaches receive pay raises, contract extensions". newsok.com.
  14. ↑ "Oklahoma scene: Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso named to NFCA Hall of Fame 2012 class". NewsOK.com. December 3, 2011.
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