June 30, 2008

The Arizona State University coaching staff has been named the NFCA's NCAA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year, it was announced today.

Head Coach Clint Myers along with assistant coaches Kirsten Voak and Robert Wagner piloted the Sun Devils to a 66-5 record, the Pac-10 title and the school's first NCAA Championship, sweeping Texas A&M in the Championship Series after posting two wins over Alabama and one over UCLA to advance to the series. The Sun Devils did not lose a game in postseason play.

Arizona State's 66 victories is a new school record and included a 12-game winning streak to conclude the season. ASU had six players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Pacific Region team with five advancing to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

The Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors were distributed as follows:

Great Lakes Region University of Michigan (52-8) Head Coach Carol Hutchins, Associate Head Coach Bonnie Tholl, Assistant Coach Jennifer Brundage, Volunteer Assistant Coach Becky Marx
• The Wolverines shared the Big Ten regular season wtitle and won their 11th NCAA Regional championship, falling in Super Regional play. Coach Hutchins had six players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Great Lakes Region team with four advancing to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

Mid-Atlantic Region Hofstra University (45-13) Head Coach Bill Edwards, Associate Head Coach Larissa Anderson, Assistant Coach Ryan Realmuto
• The Pride won a school-record 45 games this season and captured a seventh straight Colonial Athletic Association championship, winning both the regular season and tournament titles. Hofstra also advanced to the NCAA Regional championship game for the third time in the last five years. The Pride had five players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region team.

Mideast Region Purdue University (35-23) Head Coach Kim Maher, Assistant Coaches Linda Garza and Boo Gillette
• Maher and her staff guided the Boilermakers to a 35-23 record and advanced to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Purdue had four players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Mideast Region team.

Midwest Region Texas A&M University (57-10) Head Coach Jo Evans, Associate Head Coaches Joy Jackson and Mary Joe Firnbach
• Evans and her staff guided the Aggies to their second consecutive Women's College World Series, where Texas A&M advanced to the NCAA Championship Series. The Aggies won their third Big 12 Conference title in four years as well as the program's first Big 12 Tournament title. Texas A&M had two players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Midwest Region team with both advancing to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

Northeast Region Virginia Tech University (49-19) Head Coach Scot Thomas, Assistant Coaches Al Brauns and Tiffany McVay
• Virginia Tech advanced to the Women's College World Series for the first time in the program's 13-year history. The Hokies captured a second-straight ACC Tournament title before winning the Knoxville Regional and Ann Arbor Super Regional to earn their trip to Oklahoma City. Tech had three players named All-Region and one named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America team.

Pacific Region Arizona State (66-5) Head Coach Clint Myers, Assistant Coaches Kirsten Voak and Robert Wagner.
• In just his third year at ASU, Myers and his staff led the Sun Devils to the program's first-ever NCAA Softball championship.

South Region University of Alabama (55-8) Head Coach Patrick Murphy, Assistant Coaches Alyson Habetz and Vann Studeman.
• The Crimson Tide posted a 58-8 overall record and reached the semifinal round of the Women's College World Series. That third-place national finish is the best in school history. Alabama had five players chosen for the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-South Region team with four advancing to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America recognition.

Southeast Region University of Florida (70-5) Head Coach Tim Walton, Assistant Coaches Jennifer Rocha and Jenny Gladding.
• Florida finished the season with an NCAA-record 70 victories and advanced to the program's first Women's College World Series after capturing the first Southeastern Conference Tournament title. The Gators had five players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region team with all five moving on to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

West Region University of Nevada (44-18) Head Coach Michelle Gardner, Assistant Coaches Melanie Meuchel, Annie Stevens and Andy Dominique.
• Nevada captured the Western Athletic Conference regular season championship and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game of the Los Angeles Regional against host school UCLA. Nevada had three player selected to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-West Region team with one earning Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.