This week On Deck we sit down with the head coach of the University of North Alabama, Ashley Cozart. Cozart is entering her sixth season as head coach of the Lions and has found unparalleled success in that short time. In only her third year at the helm of UNA she led the Lions to the NCAA Division II National Championship along with the programs first Gulf South Conference Championship. Following that season, she and her staff were named the DII National Coaching Staff of the Year for that banner season and accomplishments. She has amassed a record of 231-80 since arriving at North Alabama. Before arriving in Florence, she served as head coach at Lindsey Wilson College where she led the Blue Raiders to the NAIA National Tournament all four years with the program while also winning the Mid-South Conference Championship each year. She served one season as an assistant coach at Lee University before taking her first head coaching job at LWC. Cozart (formerly McCool) was a standout player breaking many school records at Trevecca Nazarene University.
Lee Dobbins: Coach Cozart you took over the program at North Alabama and have taken it on a meteoric rise from an average program, to DII National Champions, and now have made the move into DI and are doing so in a very competitive fashion; How have you made these strides in just six seasons that have led to such successes for a program very much in transition?
Ashley Cozart: I think the most important thing is our culture and what we believe drives female athletes. Confidence and Love. We preach from day one that if you don’t have confidence and a love to be the best student athlete you can be, then you do not belong here. You don’t HAVE to come to practice, class, or make a difference in our community; you GET to. It also helps to recruit the right kids. There is so much talent around North Alabama and we focused on targeting and winning those athletes first and building around that. My coaching philosophy is based on that confidence and love. Those two things mixed with a female and sports works wonders in what makes us successful.
Dobbins: Over the last few years recruiting has been a major topic of conversation particularly when it comes to the average (young) age that Prospective Student Athletes are being recruited and making verbal commitments to programs. Legislation has now been initiated restricting contact/offers to PSAs until the start of their junior years in high school. Talk a bit about that change in the recruiting dynamic since that legislation has been adopted. Has it slowed the process and made balancing recruiting better? Has the legislation been effective in curving earlier recruiting in any way?
Cozart: I am a huge fan of the new recruiting calendar. I think this gives kids chances to be kids but also grow and learn as a person and athlete without the stress of making a huge decision when they aren’t ready. I think this takes pressure off families and the athlete to take their time and look at all options and not do something based on being scared of missing an opportunity. I think the new recruiting rule will help athletes make more of the right decisions and not a decision based off money, popularity, or afraid of missing an opportunity. I do think this puts more pressure on coaches. Once that date hits where we can talk with a prospective student athlete, we have to make sure we are prepared and ready to show them what we can offer. But the good far outweighs the bad on this one.
Dobbins: Being in a state heavily populated by both DI and DII programs, what have you done to carve out your niche in recruiting and draw athletes to a mid-major DI like UNA? Have you found it more difficult to recruit in this transition period that seems to be a “no man’s land” when schools are in between DII and DI?
Cozart: Alabama is loaded with so much talent! When I coached in Kentucky, I recruited so many athletes from Alabama so I said I just need to move and take a job there. It is important for us to locate the great local talent and build around that. Some of the best players I have had the pleasure to coach have been from small towns around North Alabama. Also, there are so many wonderful junior colleges around that we have been able to recruit players from and fill positions where we may need more experience right away. In this transition, you have to look at it as the glass is half full. This is such an exciting time for our program and university. An athlete gets to come in and be a part of a “first” for us. Also, our goals have changed. Now our conference tournament is our National Championship. That’s our ultimate goal over the next 4 years and we embrace that. The experiences that our players are getting to face is exciting and we are embracing every moment and every opportunity we are given.
Dobbins: I recently heard a phrase directly referenced to collegiate softball; “The era of the free agent has begun.” This seemingly is referencing the latest NCAA Transfer Legislation that eliminates the permission-to-contact process. The transfer rates in the last five years had seemingly already been at an all-time high. Recently however, it seems the flood gates have opened directly connected with this legislation. What are your thoughts on this legislation and its effect on the collegiate game?
Cozart: I am indifferent about the transfer portal and eliminating the permission to contact policy. I do feel like athletes should have options because sometimes their path turns out different than what they had imagined or planned. Sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances or coaching changes that are beyond their control. We cannot give athletes a revolving door to transfer whenever they want. In the real world if something doesn’t go our way with our job or family do we just leave or make a decision to not fight or make things better? What are these kids learning if something doesn’t go their way and they decide to handle failure by transferring or quitting? I have a young team this year, and we try and have individual meetings once a week to discuss things and what I hear most from my freshmen is they don’t know how to handle not playing and not feeling like they are good enough if they don’t start or play every game. That frustration then turns into handling it in a negative way or parents telling them to quit or transfer. I think coaches AND parents need to do a better job of teaching this generation the importance of perseverance and being tough. If you’re not getting the playing time you want, what are you doing to fix it? You can go so many different ways with it. However, athletes these days want to point fingers and not work for it but complain about it. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have the transfer portal and this outlet for athletes, but is it being used in the right way? We have gotten some great athletes that have been transfers and it has changed their life for the better and I truly believe God has led them to us. So, it can be beneficial if it is used correctly and benefiting everyone.
Dobbins: Collegiate Softball has boomed in popularity in the last 10 years and this seems to be based on its visibility on different media outlets (TV, online, Social Media, etc.). How has that dynamic of visibility has changed the way the game is played and how you run your program? What is the next progression of promotion of the game/advancement would you like to see as a head coach?
Cozart: Softball is so exciting and absolutely one of the most exciting and talked about sports these days. Seeing a female being successful in the sport of softball is incredible. The diving plays, the home runs, the athleticism is a beautiful thing! Having softball on TV for these young girls to watch is what it’s all about. They are role models to everyone who watches them play. One of the greatest things about us moving to DI is our games are now broadcast on ESPN. Every play is out there for everyone to see and we get to embrace the successes of our girls for the way they perform. Recruits now get to see more than ever how teams interact with each other, how coaches react in certain situations, and what your program is all about. It’s great for recruits and also great for scouting teams you play. There’s not much that’s a secret when playing an opponent that you can’t find on TV. I guess the next progression I would like to see from our sport is more games on TV. Having more channels available for all schools to be on TV and also highlighting the success of every program and their athletes on more media outlets. I think the sport of softball has progressed very well and will continue to be very popular and exciting.