New Softball Coach

[GrandGreen]

Not exactly the step up that I had hoped for.

From NT official athletic site

Hubbard Named Head Softball Coach

Courtesy: University of North Texas

Release: 06/22/2007

DENTON, TEXAS (6/22/07) - TJ Hubbard has been named head coach of the North Texas softball team, Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal announced today. Hubbard served as interim head coach following Kelly Burns’ resignation in May.

"After carefully considering all of the candidates for this job, TJ became the best choice as the person who could best lead the North Texas softball program to the distinction that we know is possible," Villarreal said. "He brings stability and a track record of success in developing young people into great softball players and high-character student-athletes."

Hubbard has been a part of Mean Green softball from the very beginning. Hired as an assistant coach under former head coach Stacey Segal in August of 2003, Hubbard helped field the very first North Texas team in 2004. He continued as an assistant coach after Burns was hired in 2005. Keith Berg, who was hired as an assistant coach in 2005, will move up to the top assistant.

"I am grateful and excited about the opportunity," said Hubbard. "I appreciate the support of the university and the athletic department. The future of North Texas softball is very bright."

As an assistant at North Texas, Hubbard worked primarily with the hitters and the defense. In 2007, the Mean Green was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in double plays per game (0.60). NT finished tied for first nationally in total double plays with a school-record 35 turns.

For the third year in a row, the Mean Green shattered individual and team hitting records. In 2007, North Texas hit 42 home runs, two long balls shy of the school record set the year before. As a team, the Mean Green was ranked 80th in the NCAA in home runs per game (.72). Senior Susan Waters was one of the nation’s home run leaders, finishing 14th in home runs per game (.30). Her 17 home runs was one shy of tying her single-season school record. The two-time first-team All-Sun Belt honoree left the program holding 13 single-season and 15 career records, including the career home run record.

"TJ’s coaching ability is reflected in the accomplishments by the players he coached," Villarreal said. "He was directly responsible for this team having the training and understanding of what is required to lead the nation and set team and individual records in several categories."

Prior to his arrival at North Texas, Hubbard was the assistant softball coach at Seminole State College in Seminole, Oklahoma. In 2003, Hubbard help lead the Lady Trojans to a 64-16 record, a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region II championship, and a third-place finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship.

Hubbard is a 2002 graduate of Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, Okla., where he received his bachelor’s degree in exercise science and sports management. He was a three-year letterman for the Eagles baseball team as a second baseman. He transferred to OWU from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.

While at Oklahoma Wesleyan, he competed on OWU’s inaugural team in 1999. In 2000, Hubbard helped lead the Eagles to a post-season bid where they finished second in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The Mean Green finished its fourth campaign with a 22-36 record, tying a school record for most wins in the program. The 2004 and 2006 teams each posted 22 wins. The 2007 team recorded its 22nd win in high fashion; defeating Louisiana-Lafayette, 6-5, in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The seventh-seeded Mean Green gave ULL its first-ever conference tournament loss, while NT won its first-ever victory against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

[GreenBat]

Who was on your short list?

[GrandGreen]

Who was on your short list?

I don't have any list. But I was hoping for an obvious upgrade to the program. Hubbard's only coaching experience is as an assistant coach at NT, not exactly overwhelming. Last year, NT was last in fielding, hitting, and pitching in the Belt and only one of the new recruits played any significant minutes. Usually, when looking for a new coach you would want a coach with head coaching experience or at least an assistant from a top program. I hope the new coach is a great success but I wonder if there was a real search to get the best available.

[KRAM1]

Let's give him a shot...probably didn't cost UNT that much as far as head coaches go, and softball is not what you would call a real revenue generator. Let's hope T J can recruit and coach away those fielding and hitting challenges we saw last season.....hey, we did get one big win last year...maybe it was all T J. Congrats to the new coach...NOW GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING!