June 29, 2011

BERKELEY - After garnering the attention of the nation with a trip to the Women's College World Series, the California coaching staff earned recognition from its peers as the pacific region coaching staff of the year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Wednesday. Head coach Diane Ninemire, assistant coaches Tammy Lohmann and John Reeves along with volunteer assistant coach Angie Jacobs earned the right to call themselves one of the 10 best staffs in the country.

California advanced to the WCWS for the first time since 2005 after a great regular season that saw the Golden Bears finish second in the ultra-competitive Pac-10. With the seventh national seed, the Bears breezed through the Louisville Regional and took two of three games from Kentucky to win their first-ever Super Regional title over an SEC team. On the hallowed of ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Cal defeated Oklahoma State but lost to Alabama and Florida in the Bears' 11th trip to the WCWS in program history.

Arizona State took home the national coaching staff of the year accolade, as well as the west region, after going a perfect 10-0 in the NCAA Tournament en route to the program's second national championship in four years.

Over the course of the 2011 season, the Bears faced off against four of the nine programs honored - Arizona State, Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma State.

The NFCA recognized the Cal coaches as the staff of the year in 2002 after the Bears won the national championship. This season's regional decoration is the second-ever in program history.

NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year - Arizona State (60-6, 17-4 Pac-10)
Head Coach: Clint Myers
Associate Head Coach: Robert Wagner
Assistant Coach: Chuck D'Arcy

Central Region - Baylor University (47-15, 11-6 Big 12)
Head Coaches: Glenn Moore
Associate Head Coach: Mark Lumley
Assistant Coach: Britni Sneed

Great Lakes Region - Syracuse University (45-13, 15-5 Big East)
Head Coach: Leigh Ross
Associate Head Coach: Wallace King
Assistant Coach: Mike Bosch
Volunteer Assistant Coach: Lindsay Wasek

Mid-Atlantic Region - Fordham University (42-19, 16-4 Atlantic 10)
Head Coach: Bridget Orchard
Assistant Coaches: Bob Baxter & Emily Fiedman

Mideast Region - East Carolina University (14-10 Conference USA)
Head Coach: Tracey Kee
Associate Head Coach: Natalie Kozlowski
Graduate Assistant Coach: Cristen Aona

Midwest Region - Oklahoma State University (42-18, 8-10 Big 12)
Head Coach: Rich Wieligman
Assistant Coaches: Claris Crowell & Tom Gray
Director of Softball Operations: Pam Stubbs

Northeast Region - University at Albany (28-23, 14-4 America East)
Head Coach: Chris Cannata
Assistant Coaches: Jack Coons, Mairin Dudek & Joe Reardon

Pacific Region - California (43-13, 15-6 Pac-10)
Head Coach: Diane Ninemire
Assistant Coaches: Tammy Lohmann & John Reeves
Volunteer Assistant Coach: Angie Jacobs

South Region - University of Alabama (53-11, 19-6 Southeastern)
Head Coach: Patrick Murphy
Associate Coach: Alyson Habetz
Assistant Coach: Vann Stuedeman
Director of Operations: Kate Petullo

Southeast Region - University of Florida (56-13, 21-7 Southeastern)
Head Coach: Tim Walton
Assistant Coach: Jenny Gladding & Jennifer Rocha

West Region - Arizona State (60-6, 17-4 Pac-10)
Head Coach: Clint Myers
Associate Head Coach: Robert Wagner
Assistant Coach: Chuck D'Arcy