This week RTS’s Lee Dobbins goes On-Deck with new Texas Tech Coach Sami Ward. Ward has taken four other programs to success (Loyola Marymount, Academy of Art, North Dakota, and Dakota Wesleyan) before landing in Lubbock in her first Power 5 position. The LMU graduate and former standout in the circle for the Lions takes on the task of getting the Red Raiders back on track with their recent successes after former head coach Adrian Gregory resigned this past fall after an internal investigation of the program.
Dobbins: You are a veteran head coach that has had multiple stops and successes as a collegiate coach. Other than the obvious reason of a Power 5 Coaching Position, why the move to Texas Tech?
Ward: The opportunity at Texas Tech provides a different quality of life for my family. My husband and I are able to buy our first house and give our young daughter a yard to play in. When I came out to Lubbock on my interview, I felt at home. I called my husband and said “This is it!” The program has had some great success and was left in a position to continue building on past success and with the vision to continue leading it further into postseason. We want to be consistent postseason contenders, and we believe we can do so here.
Dobbins: You obviously came from what is considered the top softball area in the country in Southern California while coaching at LMU. Now you are in West Texas where there might be some good quality PSAs, but not as an abundance. Outside of competing with the other Big 12/P5 institutes in the talent rich areas in Texas like Houston and Dallas, what are your plans on the recruiting front moving forward?
Ward: So much of this business is relationship building. We have been so lucky to build trust and relationships with a lot of the coaches in Texas. So many of the top coaches in the state tell us how much they love Texas Tech and how they want to see their kids play here. We have really enjoyed building our in state connections and look forward to continue attracting great Texas talent to our team. We also spent the past 10 years in California, so I think those combined forces will help us get great talent from that region as well.
Dobbins: You take over a program at TTU that has experienced an upswing in success in the last several years, but has also experienced “issues” internally within the program. Obviously those issues resulted in you being brought in. What are you doing to change these perceived issues and keep the program on-track with its recent successes?
Ward: I’ve been blown away at the top notch character and coachability that we have on our current roster and how they took the change in stride. When we first got a chance to Zoom with them once the announcement was made we told them, “We know you didn’t choose us, but we chose you! We want to build the future of the program along with you all.” Our mindset as a team is moving forward together. We are here to win and we are all moving in the same direction. I’m excited for what is to come for Texas Tech Softball.
Dobbins: Texas Tech seems to have a unique situation that is actually more prevalent in softball than the general public might think. You actually have your husband Randy Ward on your coaching staff as associate head coach. He has worked on all your staffs and is considered one of the best recruiters and infield coaches in softball. Talk a bit about that dynamic where you literally spend 24/7/365 with your spouse, and how that has been an obvious key to the success you both have experienced.
Ward: Randy is a phenomenal coach. He often doesn’t get the credit he earns, to be honest. He is passionate about player development and is always learning so he can be the best he can be for our players. I believe that having two strong assistants on my staff allows me to be the best coach I can be and the best mom that I can be. Both Randy and Brittany are amazing at what they do. Our success at LMU was because of those two. Communication is the key to all relationships and I believe we have figured out how to communicate well together while continuing to push each other to continue growing. We challenge each other because we know we still have a lot to learn and we want to see how great we can help our program become.