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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. 

Bradley University comes away with 22 home runs last weekend in five games. What’s with the bats of the Braves?! Or maybe the better question; what’s going on in the pitching circle for the competition? The boom in the batters box in the last few years has changed the balance of power from a game that use to be dominated on the rubber, to one that the scoreboard can hardly contain. This has been particularly true outside the Power 5 institutions as the quality of finding that “stud” arm at the mid-major level and below seemingly has become more difficult.

Indiana ranked #24 and off to the second best start in program history at 9-0. Knocked off #6 Georgia opening weekend then went undefeated at the ACC/Big 10 Challenge this past weekend. The Hoosiers seem to be turning a corner to compete nationally.

The Defending National Champions Florida State buzz-sawed through what was considered a tough early test this past weekend in Clearwater. Imagine midseason or postseason form?

*Three Top 10 Wins
*Went 6-0 against teams that entered with combined 24-4 record
*15 Home runs (all nine starters vs. Tenn had a HR on the weekend)
*13 different players scored a run, including nine with 3+

Rounding Third Softball will be bringing you a new look on reporting all the happenings and insider information in the world of softball on the collegiate, professional, and international levels. “RTS” will report from major events throughout the country and world while not just reporting on games and championship events, but also what is going on behind the scenes. No topic is out-of-bounds when bringing the public the game of softball and the straight truth behind it.