29Oct
Mike Candrea
Head Coach University of Arizona
- Mike Candrea enters his 33rd season as the head coach of the University of Arizona softball team and by far, is softball’s most decorated college coach. Mike’s accomplishments include:
- 8 NCAA National Championships
- 2 NJCAA National Championships
- 21 trips to the Women’s College World Series
- 1,468 career victories (career winning percentage of 80%)
- 54 All-Americans, including 4 National Players of the Year, 5 Coach of the Year awards
- 2-time USA Olympic Softball Team Head Coach; 1 Olympic Gold Medal and 1 Olympic Silver Medal
- Head Coach of the USA Women’s Softball Olympic team that won Gold at the 2004 Olympics, and Silver at the 2008 Olympics. The 2004 team posted a perfect 9-0 record, outscoring its opponents 51-1 in one of the most dominant team performances in any sport in Olympic history.
- Candrea led Arizona to their first national championship in 1991. National championships followed in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2007.
- During Candrea’s tenure at Arizona the Cats have had a succession of top-level players – sluggers, hitters, dominant pitchers and Olympians. For 22-c