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This week On Deck we talk with the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana University, Rick Fremin. Fremin is in his fourth season as head coach at SELU and has compiled a record 0f 103-93 while quickly turning the program around. He has led SELU from a team at the bottom of the Southland Conference in 2016, all the way to a second place finish in 2018. Fremin took over the program in the summer of 2015 after spending the previous five seasons at Jackson State University where he compiled an outstanding SWAC record of 67-16 in route to winning three East Division Championships. In his first season at JSU he also led the program to an NCAA Regional Appearance. Before his stint at JSU he served as head coach at his Alma Mater Belhaven University where he compiled a 186-95 record while making the programs first NAIA National Tournament appearance in 2010. Fremin also had coaching stops as an assistant at Millsaps College and head coach at Belle Chase High School. 

Lee Dobbins: Coach Fremin you took over a program at Southeastern Louisiana that had not seen a lot of success as of late before your arrival. You have consistently made strides in each of your four years, making the biggest jump last year with 38 wins. What have been the keys in turning the program around and changing the culture of the program to see the success it is now?

Rick Fremin: It has been a process because my first year we finished 12th, my second year we finished 6th, and this past season we finished 2nd. I told administration on the interview that I was coming here to do what’s never been done before. We have been blessed with the highest academic GPA (3.4) in program history, highest community service hours, and highest finish in conference. It has been so important to find players that are passionate about the game and willing to develop has been so key. We have also completed several projects such as- painting the facility, new cages, chair-back seats, turf infield, new outfield fence, installed 10 bull-pens, new pitching machines, and LED lighting. I have tried my best to put an aggressive team on the field from day 1 and as a result I believe that has helped tremendously in so many areas, such as recruiting. Some of our teams have broken school records and others have led the NCAA in several statistical categories. 

Dobbins: Having already been a head coach at a “mid-major” type institution before coming to SELU; what do you find is the biggest challenges to winning and winning consistently at that level? What are the strategies you use in drawing the better athletes to a mid-major to make that happen?   

Fremin: Well I think everyone is better now, then say 10 years ago. Athletic Departments have invested in the sport and made good hires to where a lot of programs across the country are in a good position. Wins are harder to come by. You have to take every game with a professional mindset, because if you don’t this game will humble you. I typically try to find athletes that are a good fit for our program. I do my best to convey to the athletes that I will try to get them to play at the highest level possible. I really enjoy when they accomplish goals that they never imagined. 

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?

Fremin: I do feel it has changed. I think that it has slowed some things down. We did a lot of work prior to the new rule, so we are not being effected just yet by the changes. I do believe a lot of programs, including us, will feel these changes in the next two years after some of the early verbals dwindle down. I think the legislation has been somewhat effective, however I did not vote in favor of the new legislation. I am against any rule that “restricts”.

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?

Fremin: I preferred the old legislation. I also feel there is now a lack of commitment on both sides, players and coaches. As result the game is effected in numerous ways. Ex- a program loses it “top player” to another program and that program who helped develop the player feels the impact the following season of that player leaving.

Dobbins: Softball (Collegiate Game particularly) 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?

Fremin: Media has definitely helped grow the game tremendously over the last 10 years and I am grateful for that. I would like to see the promotion of the sport focus on the fundamentals particularly at the lower levels. I think the fundamentals are getting lost in the times of “See you Saturday, we have a jersey for you”. I think players are just showing up to parks in all age groups and just playing. In my opinion very few players are being taught the fundamentals of the game. We as college coaches can promote and help with that so that we all continue to enjoy the great game of softball!

This week On Deck we talk with first year head coach of Fordham University, Melissa Inouye. Inouye takes charge of the Rams after the 17 year run of former coach Bridget Orchard came to an end after she accepted the head coaching position at Villanova. Inouye comes to Fordham after spending the past six seasons as head coach at Iona where she was twice names MAAC Coach of the Year. She accepted the position at Iona after serving as an assistant coach at Fordham in 2012. Prior to her one-year stint on the coaching staff at Fordham, Inouye worked on coaching staffs at Southern Mississippi, Kentucky, Northwestern State, and her Alma mater UNLV where she was also Team Captain during her playing days.

Lee Dobbins: Coach Inouye you have taken over a program that has seen much success nationally for 17 seasons under the former regime. You had also worked under that regime as an assistant coach as part of the program before. Are you doing anything to bring your own vision and culture to the program? If so what adjustments are you making or feel needed to be made? Or are you staying with what has made Fordham Softball, Fordham Softball the last 17 years?

Melissa Inouye: I had the pleasure of working with Coach Bridget Orchard in 2011-2012 and witnessed firsthand all the hard work that she put in to building Fordham Softball into a consistent nationally competitive and successful program. She did a tremendous job instilling a competitive winning culture and recruited hard nose type of player’s predominately from the northeast. I am honored and humbled that Coach Orchard recommended me for the position to the Fordham administration and I will work very hard to build upon the great foundation that’s here. I definitely want to maintain having a competitive preseason schedule that travels nationally as its great preparation for the season, good exposure for our program and University and it helps with recruiting. I also want to uphold the competitiveness, success and legacy of Fordham Softball as there is great pride being a part of this softball RAMily. As far as adjustments, I am more of a defensive coach and so I want us to be stronger defensively. Everything starts and ends in the circle and as the clique goes “defense wins’ championships,” thus, my coaching staff and I are looking to build a strong pitching staff and a deeper roster in all positions. 

Dobbins: Having already been a head coach at a “mid-major” type institution before coming to Fordham; what do you find the biggest challenge is to winning and winning consistently as a program like Fordham has at that mid-major level?   

Inouye: The biggest challenges to winning consistently comes down to a few things:

1)    Recruiting the right student-athletes who fit the school, softball program and coaching style – I believe you have to recruit at least 2 program changer type players every 4 years (hopefully 1 of them being a pitcher J )

2)    Developing the players 

3)    Challenging the players with a competitive schedule and allowing them to learn through the ups and downs of a season

4)    Motivation – being creative and always finding ways to continually motivate the players

5)    Adapting – as a coach you have to be willing to adapt to each team and the personnel as well as the journey through the season is different each year

6)    Resources – resources have to align with expectations of the program

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?

Inouye: Honestly it was difficult for college coaches to not only prepare and focus on their current teams, but also communicating and working on their future teams by keeping up with “recruiting lists” that ranged over a 3-6 year period. I personally like that the softball recruiting process has slowed down some over the last year or so, as I think its forced more prospects and their families to do more thorough research on the schools and programs before making a commitment. And it has allowed college coaches a little more time to further evaluate prospects athletically by watching them play more in games, camps/clinics, workouts, but more importantly academically and socially. I also think that some players grow into their bodies and develop later, thus, their true softball skills and athleticism might not totally display itself until their junior year, etc.

Dobbins: Many recruits when choosing their academic and athletic paths look closely at the overall campus experience that comes along with that choice. How does a campus like Fordham located in Metropolitan New York City sale itself separate from the prototypical “College Town”? What are the pros that you sell to recruits to make them want to choose to be a Fordham Ram and come to a metropolitan campus? 

Inouye: First of all, the beauty of the Fordham University campus sells itself as it’s honestly the nicest college campus I’ve worked at in my coaching career. Based on the architectural buildings and the many green spots on campus, especially Eddie’s Parade (big green open field in the middle of campus), you can’t even tell that you’re in the middle of the Bronx in New York City. New York City is one of the biggest and most diverse cities in the world, which is exciting for many recruits as there are endless opportunities and experiences within 15 minutes of campus. I truly believe that Fordham University offers these four things:

1)    A quality education

2)    Competitive and successful Division I softball program

3)    Cultural and diverse experiences as a campus located in New York City

4)    Networking and alumni relations

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 floodgates have opened directly connected with this legislation. What are your thoughts on this legislation and its effect on the collegiate game?

Inouye: I think the higher transfer rates are related to the early recruiting “rat race” and plethora of head coaching changes that have occurred over the last five years or so. For some prospects, they probably weren’t ready to make an informed decision as they possibly got caught up in the recruiting race regarding scholarship offers, social media recognition, etc. And when they got to that school, now all of a sudden it’s not the right fit academically, athletically, socially, location, coaching staff, etc. The transfer portal definitely has its pros and cons for sure as it can be an easier way to find potential transfers that could help a program fill a void caused by injuries, academics, transfers, etc. But it can also be distracting for a program if it’s several players looking to transfer from the same school. I think it’s going to take a few years to truly see the effect the transfer portal has on the collegiate game. 

This week On Deck we talk with the newest head coach in the SEC, Larissa Anderson. Anderson takes over a program at the University of Missouri very much in transition. Anderson is the third coach to helm the Tigers in the last year. Anderson comes to Columbia after spending the last 17 seasons on the coaching staff at Hofstra University. The last four seasons she served as the Pride’s head coach compiling a 130-73-1, two NCAA Tournament appearances, and two CAA Championships. Anderson also served on staffs at LIU Post and Gannon University where she was an All-American outfielder.

Lee Dobbins: Coach Anderson you spent 17 years with the program at Hofstra as either an assistant coach, associate head coach, or the last four seasons as the head coach. What ultimately made you want to leave that comfort zone and move to a conference that many consider the most visible and high pressure in the country? 

Larissa Anderson: I loved Hofstra and always will.  Throughout my 17 years at Hofstra I had many opportunities to leave and I always chose to stay because of what we were able to accomplish there, being a private mid-major school in the northeast and competing in the Top 25, I enjoyed that challenge.  I also wanted Hofstra to be my first head coaching opportunity.  I owed it to Bill Edwards, the alumni and our players.  Following the success of our 2018 season at Hofstra I knew there were going to be different career opportunities for me and it was going to come down to me making a decision if I was going to stay at Hofstra for the rest of my life, or was this the time for me to move on in my career.  Not many people get an opportunity to coach in the SEC, and I knew that if I turned down this opportunity now, it would never come my way again.  I also knew that Mizzou was the perfect fit for me.  They needed stability, they wanted to build a culture, and I can provide that. 

Dobbins: You took over a program very much in transition at Missouri having worked through last season with an interim head coach and staff while coming off some trying times that lead to that transition. Things seemed to be further complicated with the NCAA coming down with a postseason ban and other restrictions for the program moving forward. What have you and your staff done to work through that and spin that to recruits and current team members for that matter that you are re-positioning the program to be a consistent Top 25 competitor again?  

Anderson: We are being completely transparent. My staff and I were not a part of this program in 2016 when the violations occurred, and over half my team was not here as well.  It’s very unfortunate for our current team has to suffer the repercussions of the decision of one softball student-athlete and one part-time tutor who are both no longer at Mizzou.  I am making sure I am as educated as possible about the NCAA appeal process and communicating with my current team and recruits on the possibilities of the sanctions.  We know we have no control over what the NCAA decides. All we can control is making sure we play every game as though it is an NCAA regional and at the end of the season if the NCAA decides we are banned from post season, and we are one of the top 64 teams who are deserving to go, then you know the NCAA tournament does not include the best 64 teams in the country. 

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?

Anderson: It’s going to take a few years for everything to settle down, because there are still 2021, 22, 23’s out there who were verbally committed to universities.  Before the legislation passed, a lot of schools were rushing to commit as many young recruits as possible, just to get their name on them.  But what is happening now in the recruiting process, verbal commitments are not respected.  Schools are continuing to recruit PSA’s who are verbally committed and will continue to do so until they sign the National Letter of Intent.  So I guess the new legislation and how coaches are handling it is not making PSA’s make decisions in their junior and senior year, which was the intention. The negative effect of how coaches are not respecting verbal commitments is you can’t assure your current verbals will stay committed. 

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?

Anderson: I have ALWAYS felt that any athlete should have to sit out a year when they transfer, regardless of the situation.  I feel that way more now with the new transfer legislation. I completely disagree that an athlete should be allowed to play at one institution in the fall and transfer mid-year and play at another institution in the spring.  If they are required to sit out a year, it will do a number of things. 1) kids then will make a more educated decision rather than saying “well, I can just transfer if I don’t like it” 2) kids will weigh the options of transferring, if they are really unhappy, then it’s worth it sitting out a year 3) it would prevent coaches from poaching student-athletes from other schools for an immediate replacement.  It’s impacting programs, careers and if softball was like men’s’ football, baseball or basketball, you could potentially talk about a player’s draft status based on the success of a team.  But ironically, those sports you have to sit out a year.  How about that! If players were unable to transfer and play immediately, I wonder how many would have slowed down their own recruiting process and made a more thorough decision in the first place?

Dobbins: Softball (Collegiate Game particularly) 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 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? 

Anderson: In my perspective in what I’m teaching my players, everyone is watching you, so we will ALWAYS play the game the right way. We will respect the game, we will watch our language, we will conduct ourselves as professionals.  But the visibility has also changed the game preparation.  Your ability to watch your future opponents from many different angles, break down the game film. But what I think is most valuable from the visibility of a program is you can give fans, alumni, boosters an inside look into your program every day.  The fan engagement is huge, which helps promote your program and get more people involved.  People can feel as if they are a part of your program which gives them a sense of ownership and loyalty.  It also allows recruits to get an inside look into the day and the life of a collegiate softball player. 

Softball Olympian and ESPN on air personality Jessica Mendoza has joined the New York Mets. Mendoza will focus on operations in the areas of player evaluation, roster construction, technological advancement, and health and performance. This position in MLB comes in addition to her role as an analyst for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Mendoza won both a Gold Medal in Athens in 2004 and Silver in 2008 in Beijing. She was also an All-American standout at Stanford.

I came across a Tweet from a really high level softball player that simply asked/stated did it “bother” any other softball player when they see a baseball player signing hundred(s) million contracts, and frankly stating if she was male she would be a millionaire too. She is probably right, she has great talent and would get that type of payoff if there was a comparable opportunity for female athletes like Major League Baseball. However, that seems to be the issue at hand, there simply isn’t. 

MLB has been around for roughly 150 years. That is a long time to be doing business, particularly a sports related business/league. They didn’t start out paying players (probably overpaying players honestly) hundreds of millions of dollars as they do today. That was a brand built over three centuries now. It didn’t sprout up out of thin air with mega-stadiums, major TV contracts, hundred dollar tickets, and $12 hotdogs. It started from nothing with probably great similarities of what softball players are going through now looking for relevance and financial worth as a professional in their sport. Players having other jobs that support themselves as they chase their professional dream (see minor league players in today’s time for example) was the norm then as it is for softball players now. MLB built itself into what it is today 150 years later as entity that averages bringing in around $10 billion annually. Baseball is a great sport, softball (in my humble opinion) is a better sport. 

Softball ultimately has to build what baseball has in not only name, but functionality and then success. There could be some not-so-easy/lean years doing it before one can reap the same financial benefits as baseball does today. It’s not going to be handed to softball or any sport that hasn’t built its brand and attractiveness to a public willing to spend their disposable income to see the product. There has to be 40,000 fans willing to buy that ticket, and pay for $25 parking, and buy a $14 beer, the $9 ice cream, a $100 authentic game jersey, and anything else the kiddies want when they come watch. The public have to be willing to hand their dollars over for something worth their hard earned buck. A sport has to be able to get the TV contracts that come from advertiser money and interest in the game, and them willing to pay for their 30 second spots during these contests as millions of fans/potential customers tune-in. Lord knows I would like to see all that for this great game I’ve dedicated my life to. However, it’s not going to happen until you build it to that point as not just a watchable game and on-field product, but something that sells itself as a spectacle and vehicle for potential advertisers and investors. 

So how can softball get to the point of being relevant and a profitable option as a sport on the professional level? It can’t be expected for a professional softball league to thrive or grow with 4-5 rotating teams (often different each year and half of which are national team players from other countries being compensated by those countries) that draws a hundred fans on a good night to be able to pay out millions of dollars to their athletes. It’s just not feasible, the math just doesn’t work. What’s the answer? For that matter where does it even start? Those truly are the million dollar questions. Whoever figures it out, I’m sure will make a million or two themselves getting professional softball out of the purgatory of non-relevance we see it in currently. However, until that happens you can’t expect to have millions of dollars just handed over or it simply fall from the sky because there are a great athletes and players out there that seem to be well deserving based on their talent and work. The system to which makes that happen for them has to be in place and just as strong as the attributes as a player and product. 

It’s also hard to question with any reasonably why a male athlete that plays in a league 150 years old, with generations worth of fans, with corporate and media backing, that plays in front of tens of thousands of fans 162 times a year, shouldn’t make the dollars they do. However, I understand the frustration of the female athlete that is in NO WAY making currently what they are worth or their talents demand. That has to start with that support system in place that I mentioned earlier however. The professional option in this country as it stands today is stagnant and seems not to be growing (or maybe at a snail’s pace and non-noticeable). I’ll also say they haven’t been at it 150 years yet either, so what is to be expected in a sport very much still in its infancy on the grand scheme of it all. I do see a league abroad in Japan that relies on corporate sponsorship to make their league go. Most of that league seems to made in the image of the old “Industrial” men’s and women’s leagues and teams where major companies would basically field a highly competitive company team. Many great men’s and women’s player were employed in these companies to work and play softball back when these teams and the competition was a serious as any professional league. It seems the Japanese have a model that is working for them very well and even to the point they have attracted many great U.S. born athletes to their league. Can this model work in the U.S.? Has anyone tried? 

This won’t be one of my more popular pieces (cue the triggered naysayers) even though I’m simply stating fact about the current plight of softball athletes in this country. But we have to get past the “He has it, so she should have it too” divide. This is not the collegiate level where all (supposedly) are equal. I get the argument of self and professional worth, I get the fight for equality, but this isn’t the collegiate level. It’s business and finances plain and simple. When a business can’t be backed up scientifically, mathematically, or economically; the likelihood of the payouts professional softball players are looking for just aren’t feasible. Are these great softball athletes worth more than they are making? A MILLION TIMES OVER YES AND WITH NO DOUBT IN MY MIND!!!! 

Once again you have to package a good product to sell the public and they (along with investors and advertisers) have to buy it, and that’s the bottom line. Unfortunately for this current generation of great softball professionals (much like the early generation of baseball professionals), they might not be able to reap what they are sewing now. For future professional softball players and the game of softball as a whole it could (and with much hope of this writer) be different. 

This week On Deck we talk with the leader of one of the elite and most successful programs in all of Division II, Mike Davenport. Coach Davenport is of a rare bread that has had the same softball coaching position his whole career. In his 19th season as coach at the University of North Georgia he has has overseen the programs move from NAIA to Division II and in that time has compiled seven 50 win seasons. The seven-time Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year has amassed an amazing 815 wins during that time along with 11 conference regular season titles, 10 conference tournament championships, and five NCAA Southeast Region Championships. All those successes contributed and cumulated to the programs National Championship in 2015.

Lee Dobbins: Coach Davenport you have been an example of great longevity at one institution now starting your 19th season as Head Coach at North Georgia, building it from it’s infancy making it a powerhouse along the way. What have been the key factors to bring this type of sustained success to a program in smaller athletic department and rural town like UNG and Dahlonega.

Mike Davenport: My coaching career here at UNG began on the basketball court as the Asst. Women’s basketball coach which I did for four years.  During that time it was evident to me that Dahlonega and UNG had the potential for being my home for a long time.   I loved the proximity to the city of Atlanta as well as other bigger cities such as Chattanooga, TN, Greenville, SC, and even close enough to the beaches of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.  Living in the Southeast and recruiting kids to the Southeast gave our players the opportunity to access these areas but all the while living in a small college town established on the first U.S. Gold Rush and being surrounded by the Blue Ridge mountains. It took me some time to look at this program and facility and really feel like we could continue to move forward with all areas of it and grow into a competitive program.  The first, and most important piece was the recruiting piece which didn’t take me long to realize that although new to the game of fastpitch, the state of Georgia had tremendous female athletes and upcoming high school and travel ball programs.   With so much talent being located in our backyard and the benefits of being a State university utilizing the Hope Scholarship we felt like once we got kids to campus that we would have a college experience that they could be proud of and that their families could share in as well.

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 at and them making verbal commitments to programs; Legislation has been installed on the NCAA Division I level that has dramatically curved this as of late. Have you seen any trickle-down affect to whats happening at Division I that is affecting Division II? Would you like to see any changes at the Division II level to be more in-line with this?

Davenport: From the competitive-side of recruiting I felt like the DII, DIII, and NAIA levels as well as possibly a few mid-majors benefited from the early recruiting that was going on in our sport.  Many programs were advising recruits that their recruiting needs were completed for often times high school seniors thru high school freshman so it became easier for us to identify what kids were still looking for a “home”.  It also provided us a better time-frame to watch prospects develop as they moved from their sophomore years into their junior and senior years.   The other positive for our level was that transfers were becoming more prevalent because I believe we “all” were making incorrect decisions at the younger ages – the prospects, parents, high school coaches, travel ball coaches, and most importantly the college coaches. As much as I feel we benefited indirectly from the early recruiting of prospects, I did not and do not feel it was/is healthy for the game of softball.   All of those involved should work to put a young lady in the “best” possible situation for her and her family – and the older she is in the process the better decision she and those around her will make to help her succeed.

Dobbins: Division II seems to get a raw deal sometimes in recruiting and most seem misinformed with the actual level of play when comparing to the Division I level. What do you see as the challenges at this level when educating Prospective Student-Athletes that DII can be as competitive (if not more) than some on the DI level?

Davenport: The “level” of a college program is not indicative of the “level” of competition of a college program, and that goes for all levels.  Within each classification there are several levels of competition that each program competes at, and that’s okay.  Often times college softball programs overachieve based on a direct reflection of the amount of financial and scholarship support they are provided. The challenge of finding the right program goes deeper than the classification the programs, the enrollment of the institution, and also the amount of funds each program is given by that institution. 

Dobbins: I recently heard a phrase directly referenced to collegiate softball; “The era of the free agent has begun.” The transfer rates in recent years have exploded to an all-time high, particularly this year the implementation of the Transfer Portal seemingly making it easier to move institute-to-institute. What are your thoughts on transfers, and do you feel that DII benefits in these transfers as much as or maybe more than DI?

Davenport: The opportunity to transfer without restriction should be in place, but it should also come with some governance.   No matter what level you compete at the last 5-6 kids on each roster most often desire to have more playing and I understand that.  If they feel like there is somewhere they can be more productive then that is understandable.  We also need to be sensitive to family reasons as well as academic and social reasons to help the student-athlete find the best environment for themselves, and unfortunately this comes after they put themselves into a situation that they now do not desire. But, with that said we need to be careful that all those involved are being honest regarding the “reason” to move programs and we should also be reasonable as to the experience we are attempting to pass along to the student-athlete may come with some challenges and also some times that you must honor “your” commitment to the program and also your current teammates.

Dobbins: Having built a consistent Top 10 program like you have and succeeded at winning National Championship at the DII level, your name seems to be brought up every off-season for openings at the DI level. Do you feel any urge or have the interest in a move to the DI? Does that appeal to you to see how you would do at the next level? 

Davenport: When I was coaching women’s basketball I had the privilege to attend a Don Meyer coaching clinic in Nashville, TN and two learning moments from that clinic will always stay with me throughout my coaching career. The first was a high profile college coach was set to speak but neglected to fulfill his commitment because he had just jumped to the NBA and the point was made to always “remember and take care of those that helped you get to where you are at on your way up because those are the same people you will pass when you fall on your way down”. And secondly, most importantly was listening to the late Pat Summitt (who replaced this individual) and her words of advice that will forever stick with me – “It’s why you coach, not where you coach”.   She went on to explain that when she took over the University of Tennessee program it was nothing like the product we see today, she droves vans, she swept the floor, she washed uniforms.  And she took pride in doing those things because it’s what needed to be done and she was not above doing them.   And this is no different in our program – we all do our part – and no one is void of doing anything. This example came early in my college coaching career which I think really put me in a place to really dig my heals in and make something “where my feet are”.  My “why” has never changed – because of the love I have for the bat and ball sport and also the opportunity to coach the kids that not only we choose but they choose us.  If an opportunity to coach at another institution presents itself it will not change my priorities of “why” I coach.

‪Hall of Fame Coach Deb Pallozzi from Ithaca College has announced her retirement at the conclusion of the 2019 season.

Pallozzi has coached Ithaca for 30 seasons and 858 wins entering the 2019 season. In 2002 she led the Bombers to the DIII National Championship. Pallozzi has been named Empire 8 Coach of the Year seven times while her staff was named Northeast Coaching Staff of the Year five times.

USA Softball announced the National Team Coaching Staff today. Joining Head Coach Ken Eriksen for the 2019 cycle will be:

Laura Berg
Head Coach, Oregon State
Howard Dobson
Assistant Coach, LSU
Tairia Flowers
Head Coach, Cal State Northridge

All three have been in the National Team Coaching Pool for several years and have served on the National or Junior National Team Coaching Staffs in the previous years.

‪A few of the impressive starts this season you might not have seen coming:‬

‪Indiana 14-0‬
‪DePaul 13-1 ‬
‪Texas Tech 13-1‬
‪Louisiana Tech 12-3
Chattanooga 11-1‬
‪Oregon 11-4‬
‪UNLV 11-3‬
‪Stephen F. Austin 11-5‬
‪Boise State 10-2‬
‪Drake 10-4‬
North Texas 10-4
‪North Alabama 8-3 ‬
‪Appalachian State 8-3‬

This week On Deck we leave the world of athletic scholarships, unlimited budgets, and private charter planes to visit the world of academic scholarships, fundraising to make ends meet, and being happy to have two seats to yourself on the bus, Division III. I sit down with the head coach at Birmingham-Southern College, Kimball Cassady. The former Kimball Pratt played her collegiate ball in the infancy of the SEC at Auburn University from 1998-2001, where she set the school record for assists with 366 over her career, while also serving as Team Captain for the Tigers for two seasons and being a three-time selection for the Conference Academic Honor Roll. At completion of her career she served as assistant coach at BSC from 2002-2004, before taking time away from the collegiate game with a stint at head coach at Clay-Chalkville High School. In 2010 she returned to BSC as head coach and immediately made huge strides including the 2011 SCAC East Region Title. In eight seasons at the helm of the Panthers Cassady has racked up a 233-107-1 record on her way to multiple conference titles and two NCAA Regional appearances. 

Lee Dobbins: Coach Cassady you played in the infancy of the SEC at Auburn and obviously seen the changes not only at that level of play, but all levels of play in the sport in the last 20 years. Having played at that top level of the game, what have you done with that experience to relate to today’s athletes particularly at the Division III level?  

Kimball Cassady: I don’t want to date myself, however my playing career ended a long time ago but to me my playing experience plays a huge role in the way I coach and the way I respond to my student athletes.  Because of my playing experience, I can relate to how they feel when they have early morning workouts, classes all day then practice and study hall to end the day.  It might have been a long time ago, but I still remember how it felt hearing that alarm clock going off or having to wear sweat suits the majority of my college career. I also firmly believe that the best players don’t always make the best coaches.  Trust me, I was not the best player (not even close), but I was a student of the game.  I call it softball sense which I believe helps me explain the game and communicate with my athletes on a different level.  I also learned over my years of coaching, that kids get bored easily.  Used to, I could take millions of ground balls at practice and hit off the tee for hours and love every minute of it, but I’ve learned that you have to be innovative with your practice plans.  Make drills competitive to keep them engaged and focused. As you know, the sport of softball has evolved a lot since I’ve played, so you constantly have to educate yourself and be willing to learn and adapt as the sport changes.  I love going to watch other colleges and universities practice. 

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 at and them making verbal commitments to programs; Legislation has been installed on the NCAA Division I level that has dramatically curved this as of late. Have you seen any trickle-down effect to what’s happening at DI that is affecting DIII? Would you like to see any changes at the DIII level to be more in-line with this? What have you seen as the greatest differences in recruiting today compared to when you came out as an athlete?

Cassady: Things have drastically changed since I’ve been on the recruiting/coaching side of things.  Back in my time, you narrowed your search down and took official visits to the schools in which you had interest.  I find that now kids will commit so early on and not really do their due diligence when it comes to researching the program and the school.  My parents told me years ago when I was being recruited to pick the school first and then the softball program because you want to be happy with the place in which you are getting your education.  Now that I’m a coach, I elaborate on what my parents say by telling all of our recruits to make sure when they are in the recruiting process to make sure they visit the schools they have interest in and make sure you get time with the coaches and players.  It’s so important to understand what type of people you will be surrounding yourself with and are these people I can see myself being with 99% of the time. As far as student athletes verbally committing to us early, it does happen, but unfortunately for us at the D3 level, things can change quickly since we don’t offer athletic scholarships at the D3 level.  If we do get a kid that commits early, we have to do a good job of keeping them engaged.  We want to get them on campus and around our team as much as possible to keep them interested in us and our program.

Dobbins: Division III seems to get a raw deal in recruiting and most seem misinformed with the actual level of play when comparing to the DI, DII, and even NAIA levels. What do you see as the challenges at this level when educating Prospective Student-Athletes on the benefits of DIII and the seemingly greater academic value it offers?

Cassady: Obviously we have to really sell the educational part of our college simply because at the D3 level, it takes priority over anything else. What I typically express to our recruits is that at BSC, you will get the best of both worlds.  You will get one of the best educations around but you will also be a part of a successful softball program.  Going into this job, I had somewhat of a negative connotation that D3 would not be very competitive or that it was like a watered down travel league.  I really thought this would just be a stepping stone for me, but after completing my first year, I was completely sold and now I’m about to start my 9th season.  I have bought into what D3 stands for and what our school stands for so honestly I find it easy to sell to a prospective athlete.  The beauty of playing at the D3 level, you really have the opportunity to be a well-rounded STUDENT athlete.  We have players that are involved in sororities, FCA, student government, etc. 

Dobbins: I recently heard a phrase directly referenced to collegiate softball; “The era of the free agent has begun.” The transfer rates in the last five years has been at an all-time high. What are your thoughts on transfers? Do feel that DIII benefits in these transfers in anyway more than say, DII or NAIA?

Cassady: I’m a little bit on the fence with this one.  To me, so many athletes across the board are transferring when one little thing doesn’t go their way. What happened to the times when you found out you weren’t going to be the starter, that instead of throwing in the towel, you go put in extra work to make yourself better?  I sort of feel like those days are over.  This reason alone is why we are very transparent with every recruit when they come on campus.  We recommend if they are interested in our program that they need to take an overnight visit and definitely need to watch us practice and play to get a feel for how we are as coaches and how we interact with our athletes.  They also need to spend time with our girls to see if it really is a good fit.  Do I like these people or do I not?  We hope this will in turn keep them from transferring from our program.   We don’t typically get many transfers, but when we do, we really have to be a little picky and up front with them.  It’s great because they don’t have to sit out a year or lose eligibility when transferring to D3, but many times it’s harder because of what classes transfer and what classes don’t.  I do know that in my last 3 years of coaching we’ve seen more transfers come to BSC.  Every one of them have ended up being major contributors to our program so I do feel like D3 schools can benefit from this new age of transferring schools. 

Dobbins: Softball (Collegiate Game particularly) 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 changed the way the game is played and how you run your program? Are you seeing any benefits of this visibility at the DIII level or for your program in particularly? What would you like to see in this area that could greater expose softball at the DIII level?

Cassady: It’s been great to see over the years how much the sport of softball has grown.  It’s great to be able to follow all your favorite teams on social media and be able to watch softball on TV or online basically from March through June.  I love when we’re on a bus ride back to BSC, and we can turn on the TV and watch a great softball game.  I will be honest with you though, I’m terrible when it comes to social media. I can barely do my own Facebook!  If I had the money I would hire someone to be in charge of Instagram, twitter and Facebook and whatever else they use these days, I would do it.  Social media and the fact that almost all of our games are streamed live has been a great way for our recruits and families to be able to follow us more closely.  I do wish there was a way to get more D3 softball on TV.  At least maybe show the championship of the world series.  I’ve got a feeling that day will come soon.