Patricia Marie Gasso (née Froehlich; born May 27, 1962)[1] is an American softball coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. She has been the head softball coach at the University of Oklahoma since 1995. She has led the Sooners team to seven national championships (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, and 2023) and has compiled a career record of 1,456–345–2 and a winning percentage of .808.
Early years
Born Patricia Marie Froehlich in Los Angeles, Gasso grew up in Torrance, California.[1] She played softball at California State University, Long Beach.[2][3] She also coached softball at Long Beach City College from 1990 to 1994, compiling a record of 161–59–1.[4][5][6]
Oklahoma
In 29 years at the University of Oklahoma, she has compiled a record of 1,395–344–2 and a winning percentage of .802.[7] Her teams have advanced to the Women's College World Series fourteen times and won the national championship seven times in 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, and 2023.[2][8] Her winning percentage of .802 ranks the highest of Division I college softball coaches with at least 1,000 career wins.[7][9]
In 1999, the University of Oklahoma won its third Big 12 Conference championship in five years at Oklahoma, but financial difficulties nearly ended her tenure following the 1999 season. Gasso noted:
Money was tight, and my husband, Jim, had actually gone back to California because it was hard to find a job here at the time. So here I was raising our two children and trying to coach a Division-I softball program, which was very demanding of my time and energy.[6]
Gasso remained in Oklahoma for the 2000 season despite her husband's return to California.[6] The 2000 University of Oklahoma team compiled a record of 66–8 and defeated UCLA three to one in the Women's College World Series to win the Sooners' first softball national championship.[10]
Following the national championship in 2000, the University of Oklahoma gave Gasso "a significant salary hike," and her husband was able to return to Oklahoma.[6] Over the next 12 years, Gasso built the Sooners into a national softball power, winning over 40 games every year. The 2001 team finished with a 50–9 record, and the 2007 team finished 55–8.[7]
Gasso's 2012 team advanced to the finals of the Women's College World Series but lost the national championship in a close series against Alabama.[8][11] The 2012 team finished its season with a 54–10 record.[7] In late June 2012, the Oklahoma University Board of Regents extended Gasso's contract through the 2017 season.[12][13]
Gasso was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame in 2012.[5][14]
Gasso reached a milestone on March 15, 2015, when she got her 1,000th win as the head coach of Oklahoma in a resounding win over East Carolina.[15]
On June 6, 2017, Gasso and the Sooner softball team swept Florida in the national championship, winning Gasso her second national championship in two years and fourth overall.
On June 10, 2021, Gasso's Sooners defeated the Florida State in the national championship, Gasso's and the school's fifth national championship.
On June 8, 2022, Gasso's Sooners defeated the University of Texas in the national championship, Gasso's and the school's sixth national championship.
On June 8, 2023, Gasso's Sooners defeated the Florida State Seminoles in the WCWS national championship series, winning Gasso's and the school's seventh national championship. That team nearly finished the season undefeated with a record of 61-1. Their only loss came in February to Baylor, 4-3, during an early season tournament played in Waco, TX. The Sooners swept Baylor in the Big XII regular season series, holding the Bears scoreless in three games.
Head coaching record
The following table lists Gasso's head coaching record at the NCAA level.[16] [17]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Sooners (Big Eight Conference) (1995) | |||||||||
| 1995 | Oklahoma | 43–23 | 12–4 | 1st | NCAA Regional | ||||
| Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12 Conference) (1996–present) | |||||||||
| 1996 | Oklahoma | 50–20 | 17–5 | 1st | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 1997 | Oklahoma | 55–19 | 14–4 | 2nd | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 1998 | Oklahoma | 49–15 | 12–5 | 2nd | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 1999 | Oklahoma | 40–16 | 11–3 | 1st | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2000 | Oklahoma | 66–8 | 17–1 | 1st | WCWS Champions | ||||
| 2001 | Oklahoma | 50–9 | 14–2 | 2nd | Women's College World Series | ||||
| 2002 | Oklahoma | 49–16 | 14–2 | 2nd | Women's College World Series | ||||
| 2003 | Oklahoma | 47–14 | 12–6 | 4th | Women's College World Series | ||||
| 2004 | Oklahoma | 45–22–1 | 11–7 | 5th | Women's College World Series | ||||
| 2005 | Oklahoma | 50–17 | 12–6 | 2nd | NCAA Super Regional | ||||
| 2006 | Oklahoma | 40–21–1 | 8–10 | 5th | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2007 | Oklahoma | 55–8 | 14–4 | 2nd | NCAA Super Regional | ||||
| 2008 | Oklahoma | 47–14 | 16–2 | 2nd | NCAA Super Regional | ||||
| 2009 | Oklahoma | 41–16 | 14–4 | 1st | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2010 | Oklahoma | 47–12 | 13–3 | 2nd | NCAA Super Regional | ||||
| 2011 | Oklahoma | 43–19 | 10–8 | 5th | Women's College World Series | ||||
| 2012 | Oklahoma | 54–10 | 19–5 | 1st | Women's College World Series (Runner-Up) | ||||
| 2013 | Oklahoma | 57–4 | 15–2 | 1st | WCWS Champions | ||||
| 2014 | Oklahoma | 51–13 | 16–2 | 1st | Women's College World Series | ||||
| 2015 | Oklahoma | 49–9 | 14–2 | 1st | NCAA Super Regional | ||||
| 2016 | Oklahoma | 57–8 | 17–1 | 1st | WCWS Champions | ||||
| 2017 | Oklahoma | 61–9 | 17–1 | 1st | WCWS Champions | ||||
| 2018 | Oklahoma | 57–5 | 18–0 | 1st | Women's College World Series | ||||
| 2019 | Oklahoma | 57–6 | 18–0 | 1st | Women's College World Series (Runner-Up) | ||||
| 2020 | Oklahoma | 20–4 | 0–0 | Season canceled due to COVID-19 | |||||
| 2021 | Oklahoma | 56–4 | 15–1 | 1st | WCWS Champions | ||||
| 2022 | Oklahoma | 59–3 | 17–1 | 1st | WCWS Champions | ||||
| 2023 | Oklahoma | 61–1 | 18–0 | 1st | WCWS Champions | ||||
| Oklahoma: | 1,456–345–2 (.808) | 406–91 (.817) | |||||||
| Total: | 1,456–345–2 (.808) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
See also
References
- ^ a b "Patty Gasso". The Oklahoman. May 27, 2001.
- ^ a b "Softball: Patty Gasso, Head Coach". University of Oklahoma. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "500 wins for Gasso, 500 more to go". the Oklahoma Daily. February 25, 2005. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013.
- ^ "Softball Hall of Fame". City of Long Beach.
- ^ a b "Former LBCC Coach Gasso to be inducted into NFCA Hall of Fame". Long Beach City College.
- ^ a b c d Jay C. Upchurch (Summer 2009). "Building a Perennial Power". Sooner Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-06-29.
- ^ a b c d "Softball Coaches Career". NCAA.com. Retrieved July 16, 2012.(Enter "gasso" in the "Last Name" box and click the "Coach" button to retrieve Gasso's career record.)
- ^ a b Jeff Johncox (June 7, 2012). "Sooners fall short in bid for national title". Muskogee Phoenix.
- ^ "NCAA Softball Coaching Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ "Sooners whip Bruins, 3–1, claim national softball title". Altus Times (AP story). May 30, 2000. p. 3.
- ^ "Softball: Patty Gasso becomes emotional talking about her team". OU Sports. June 7, 2012. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012.
- ^ "OU Board Of Regents Approves Several Raises And Extensions". News9. June 26, 2012.
- ^ Silas Allen (June 26, 2012). "University of Oklahoma coaches receive pay raises, contract extensions". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Oklahoma scene: Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso named to NFCA Hall of Fame 2012 class". The Oklahoman. December 3, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Eight homers give Gasso 1000th win at OU". Sooner Sports. March 15, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Oklahoma Softball Records". Sooner Stats. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ "Big 12 Softball Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Sports. Big 12 Conference. Retrieved 28 April 2022.