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Patty Gasso

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Patty Gasso
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamOklahoma
ConferenceSEC
Record1,515–352–2
Annual salary$1.775 million annually
Biographical details
Born (1962-05-27) May 27, 1962 (age 62)
Los Angeles, California
Alma materLong Beach State (Class of 1984)
Playing career
1981–1982El Camino
1983–1984Long Beach State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1990–1994Long Beach City
1995–presentOklahoma
Head coaching record
OverallJunior college: 161–59–1 (.731)
NCAA: 1,515–352–2 (.811)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
  • 7× NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2022–2024)
  • 10× NFCA Central Regional Coaching Staff of the Year (2012–2019, 2021, 2022)
  • 3× Speedline/NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year (1999–2001)
  • C.Vivian Stringer Coaching Award (2017)
  • CCCAA Coach of the Year (1992)
  • NFCA West Regional Coach of the Year (1992)
  • 15× Big 12 Coach of the Year (1996, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2012–2019, 2021–2023)
  • National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2012)
Records
  • Most Big 12 wins by a coach in league History (428)
  • Most Wins by a coach at Oklahoma (1,515)

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 eight national championships (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024) and has compiled a career record of 1,515–352–2 and a winning percentage of .811.

Early years

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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

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In 30 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 eight times in 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.[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 Florida State in the national championship, winning Gasso's and the school's fifth national championship.[16]

On June 8, 2022, Gasso's Sooners defeated Texas in the national championship, winning Gasso's and the school's sixth national championship.[17]

On June 8, 2023, Gasso's Sooners defeated Florida State in the national championship, winning Gasso's and the school's seventh national championship, and their third consecutive championship. They became the first team to three-peat since UCLA from 1988 to 1990. The 2023 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, Texas.[18][19]

On June 6, 2024, Gasso's Sooners again defeated Texas in the national championship series, in a rematch from 2022, winning Gasso's and the school's eighth national championship. Gasso's eight national titles tied Arizona's Mike Candrea for the most by any coach in Division I softball history.[20] With the win, Oklahoma became the first team in college softball history to four-peat.[21][22]

Head coaching record

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The following table lists Gasso's head coaching record at the NCAA level.[23] [24]

Statistics overview
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) (1996–2024)
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
2024 Oklahoma 59–7 22–5 2nd WCWS Champions
Oklahoma Sooners (Southeastern Conference) (2025–present)
2025 Oklahoma 0–0 0–0
Oklahoma: 1,515–352–2 (.811) 428–96 (.817)
Total: 1,515–352–2 (.811)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Patty Gasso". The Oklahoman. May 27, 2001.
  2. ^ a b "Softball: Patty Gasso, Head Coach". University of Oklahoma. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  3. ^ "500 wins for Gasso, 500 more to go". the Oklahoma Daily. February 25, 2005. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013.
  4. ^ "Softball Hall of Fame". City of Long Beach.
  5. ^ a b "Former LBCC Coach Gasso to be inducted into NFCA Hall of Fame". Long Beach City College.
  6. ^ a b c d Jay C. Upchurch (Summer 2009). "Building a Perennial Power". Sooner Magazine. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012.
  7. ^ 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.)
  8. ^ a b Jeff Johncox (June 7, 2012). "Sooners fall short in bid for national title". Muskogee Phoenix.
  9. ^ "NCAA Softball Coaching Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  10. ^ "Sooners whip Bruins, 3–1, claim national softball title". Altus Times (AP story). May 30, 2000. p. 3.
  11. ^ "Softball: Patty Gasso becomes emotional talking about her team". OU Sports. June 7, 2012. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012.
  12. ^ "OU Board Of Regents Approves Several Raises And Extensions". News9. June 26, 2012.
  13. ^ Silas Allen (June 26, 2012). "University of Oklahoma coaches receive pay raises, contract extensions". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  14. ^ "Oklahoma scene: Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso named to NFCA Hall of Fame 2012 class". The Oklahoman. December 3, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  15. ^ "Eight homers give Gasso 1000th win at OU". Sooner Sports. March 15, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  16. ^ Rohde, John (June 10, 2021). "Sooners Capture Fifth National Championship". soonersports.com. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  17. ^ Rohde, John (June 9, 2022). "Back to Back: Sooners Win Sixth National Title". soonersports.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  18. ^ Post, J.J. (June 8, 2023). "Oklahoma softball joins elite company with title three-peat". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  19. ^ Auerbach, Nicole (June 8, 2023). "Oklahoma softball wins third consecutive national title: How Sooners cemented a dynasty". The Athletic. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  20. ^ Hoover, John E. (June 6, 2024). "OU Softball: Patty Gasso Makes History Again as Oklahoma Takes Down Texas for Softball National Championship". SI.com. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  21. ^ Bardahl, Jayna (June 6, 2024). "Oklahoma claims historic 4-peat with WCWS championship finals Game 2 win over Texas". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  22. ^ Curtright, Austin (June 6, 2024). "Oklahoma softball wins fourth straight championship: Social media reactions to Sooner dynasty". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  23. ^ "Oklahoma Softball Records". Sooner Stats. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  24. ^ "Big 12 Softball Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Sports. Big 12 Conference. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
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