Rounding Third Softball

RTS has learned that Mario Hernandez will join the coaching staff at Tennessee Tech. Hernandez spent the 2021 season as the top assistant and hitting coach at Valparaiso. Before landing with the Crusaders he coached the 2020 season in the Sunshine State with Jacksonville. Hernandez spent six years (2014-2019) with the Illinois Hawks club organization serving as head coach of the 18U group, eventually ascending to the position of President of Softball for the organization before entering the collegiate level.

Whitney Patterson has been named interim head softball coach at Centenary College in Louisiana. She replaces Mark Suire who recently left the program to become the head coach at Hendrix College. Patterson has been on staff as an assistant coach for the last seven seasons. The promotion by the Centenary Administration to “interim” is a bit head-scratching considering her longevity with the program. Patterson not being elevated to the permanent role could hurt the stability of the program particularly in the realm of recruiting.

USA Softball has released the official television schedule for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. USA will start their schedule next Wednesday July 21 against Italy on the NBC Sports Network.

July 21	vs Italy	12 p.m. / July 20 11 p.m.	NBCSN (LIVE)	NBCOlympics.com
July 22	vs Canada	9 a.m. / July 21 8 p.m.	NBCSN (LIVE)	NBCOlympics.com
July 24	vs Mexico	2:30 p.m. / 1:30 a.m.	NBCSN (DELAYED)	NBCOlympics.com
July 25	vs Australia	10 a.m. / July 24 9 p.m	CNBC (LIVE)	NBCOlympics.com
July 26	vs Japan	10 a.m. / July 25 9 p.m.	USA (LIVE)	NBCOlympics.com
July 27	Bronze Medal Game	1 p.m. / 12 a.m.	CNBC (LIVE)	NBCOlympics.com
July 27	Gold Medal Game	8 p.m. / 7:00 a.m.	NBCSN (LIVE)	NBCOlympics.com

Hofstra has gone the alumni route naming Adrienne Clark their new head coach. Clark was a member of three NCAA Tournament teams during her playing career with the Pride under legendary head coach Bill Edwards. She served the last three seasons on the coaching staff at Purdue. Clark also had stops at Connecticut, a run as an assistant at Hofstra, Delaware, and Columbia over her 16 year coaching career.

Mike Mayben has been named the new head coach at Arizona Christian. Mayben comes to The Valley of the Sun after spending the last four seasons on staff of national powerhouse Southern Oregon. He helped SOU to a pair of NAIA National Championships in 2019 and 2021 as an assistant. He also served as interim head coach in the 2020 season.

Jessica Cooley has stepped down as head coach at Palm Beach Atlantic. Cooley spent two seasons with the Sailfish and compiled a record of 32-23. She departs PBA after her husband, Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations Michael Brown, accepted the position as the Associate Athletic Director for Operations at Purdue University-Fort Wayne. The move to Indiana could also indicate a possible opportunity for Cooley as PFW is in the process of a search for a new head coach.

Jeff Franquet will not return as head coach at Delaware State for another season RTS has learned. Franquet coached the Hornets for two seasons after being named to the position in July 2019. He compiled a record of 12-39 leading DSU.

Incarnate Word has named Kimberly Dean their new head coach. Dean spent the last four seasons as head coach at Georgia Southern. She holds a career coaching record of 103-77 which also includes a head coaching stop at now defunct Armstrong State.

New Georgia head coach Tony Baldwin has informed the team that JT D’Amico will be joining the program’s coaching staff. D’Amico has spent the past 14 years on the staff at Washington primarily working with the Huskie Defense. UW won a National Championship during that time in 2009.

Sources have confirmed to RTS that Alyssa DiCarlo will be joining the coaching staff at Georgia as volunteer assistant. DiCarlo, a Bulldog alum, competed from 2016-2019. She signed professionally out of UGA with the Chicago Bandits.