Carol Hutchins |
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Wolverine head coach Carol Hutchins is in her 24th season at the helm of the Wolverine softball program, where she has molded Michigan into one of the elite programs in college softball. On December 8, 2006, Hutchins was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in recognition of her coaching success and the indelible mark she has left on both Michigan and collegiate softball. The hall of fame induction kicked off a series of career milestones that would come for Hutchins during the 2007 season. On February 28, she became just the seventh coach in NCAA softball history -- sixth in Division I -- to reach 1,000 career wins when the Wolverines swept a mid-week doubleheader at Florida State (4-3, 3-2). Two months later -- on April 29 -- Michigan picked up a home doubleheader sweep vs. Wisconsin (2-1, 2-0) to net Hutchins her 1,000th career win at Michigan, strengthing her position as U-M's winningest coach in athletic department history. In what many thought would be somewhat of a rebuilding year, the Wolverines posted a 47-13 record last year, marking the program's 13th consecutive season with at least 40 wins. U-M advanced to the NCAA Super Regional for the third time in as many years after claiming a regional sweep in the team's final appearance at the old Alumni Field and fell just one game shy of a berth in the Women's College World Series. "Hutch" has been a part of the Michigan softball program since 1983 when she joined the staff as an assistant coach under Bob DeCarolis. She moved into the head coach position in 1985, and in each of her 23 head coaching seasons, has continued Michigan’s tradition of softball success. Michigan has never suffered a losing season in all of Hutch’s years with the program. Hutchins has led the Wolverines to the Women's College World Series in eight of the last 13 seasons, and, in 2005, the Maize and Blue became the first program east of the Mississippi River to claim the NCAA national championship when they defeated UCLA. Michigan’s record-setting 2005 season was the culmination of two decades of dedication for Hutchins and her current and former players and coaches. In that magical season, Michigan set records in a number of categories, including: • First softball national championship • A program-best 65 wins • A program-best 32 victories in a row (spanning 47 days, from Feb. 13 to March 30) • First No. 1 ranking (March 22) • First No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament • First victory over a top-ranked opponent (6-2 win over No. 1 Arizona) • Michigan’s 103 home runs tied for second on the NCAA all-time single-season home run list The 2005 season took on added significance when Hutchins was selected to be included in a pool of coaches for USA Softball’s Summer Tour. Hutchins helped select both the USA Softball National and Elite teams and was appointed head coach for the Elite Team at the Canada Cup (July 2-10) and made assistant coach for the National Team at the Japan Cup (July 26-August 5). The Elite Team posted a 10-1 record at the Canada Cup to earn the silver medal, while winning the Sendai Series at the Japan Cup. Hutchins' squads have also captured 10 Big Ten regular-season titles, 10 NCAA Regional crowns and eight Big Ten Tournament championships. She has earned nine Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year honors, eight NCAA Regional Coach of the Year awards and a pair of NFCA National Coach of the Year honors. The Hutchins-led Michigan coaching staff has garnered Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year honors in six of the last nine seasons (1998, '99, 2001, '02, '04, '05) and was named Speedline/NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year for the first time in 2005. Under Hutchins' guidance, the Michigan softball program has claimed 10 of the last 15 Big Ten regular-season championships and earned trips to 15 NCAA National Championship Tournaments (1992, '93, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07). U-M advanced to the NCAA Women’s College World Series in 1995, '96, '97, '98, 2001, '02 and '04 before claiming the first national title in eight tries in 2005. Michigan has finished either first, second or third in the Big Ten Conference standings in 20 of Hutchins' 23 seasons, and has been among the league's top five teams in each of her head coaching years. The Wolverines have received 36 total All-America citations under Hutchins, including 12 first-team nods, while eight have earned Academic All-America accolades. Michigan players have 12 times been named Big Ten Player of the Year, 10 times Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and nine times Big Ten Freshman of the Year during her coaching tenure. Wolverine players have accumulated 89 Academic All-Big Ten awards, 119 All-Big Ten citations and 77 All-Mideast or All-Great Lakes Region certificates. Four former Hutchins-coached Wolverines -- Jenny Allard, Morrow, Alicia Seegart and Bonnie Tholl -- were named to the Big Ten’s All-Decade (1990s) team -- the most from any conference school. Hutchins' players have excelled at the international level, including medal performances by Samantha Findlay, Tiffany Haas, Jessica Merchant and Jennie Ritter during the 2005 Canada Cup and International Cup. Findlay and Ritter joined Hutchins again in 2006 as the Wolverine trio led the USA squad to gold at the World University Games. Former Michigan players Vicki Morrow (1987) and Patti Benedict (1995) were members of U.S. Pan American Games teams, while current Wolverine Maggie Viefhaus captured gold with the USA junior team at the 2007 Junior Pan Am Championships in Manaubo, Puerto Rico, and later at the 2007 Junior World Championships in Enschede, Netherlands. Hutchins and the University of Michigan have hosted 13 NCAA Regional Championships (1993, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07) and one Super Regional (2005), an honor showcasing the Wolverine program, facilities and University on a national level. Michigan captured a regional crown in nine of those host years. For the last several years, every season has brought prestigious milestones to coach Hutchins and the U-M program. On March 31, 2000, Hutchins moved to the top of the all-time win list for University of Michigan coaches -- female or male -- with win No. 638, a 1-0 victory vs. Indiana in the conference season opening game. Hutchins became the Wolverines' all-time wins leader among female sport coaches when she posted U-M win No. 600 with a 6-3 victory vs. Minnesota on April 11, 1999. Hutchins added win No. 700 with a 2-1 win over Oakland University on April 3, 2001. The 2002 Wolverines completed the trifecta as Big Ten regular-season and tournament champions as well as NCAA Regional champs, sending the Maize and Blue to its sixth WCWS. In 2004, the Wolverines posted a ninth-straight 40-win season, advancing to the WCWS for the seventh time in 10 years. During the 2003 season, Hutchins became just the 14th coach in NCAA Division I softball history to reach the 800-win plateau with a 2-1 win over Wisconsin on April 12, 2003. Before becoming Michigan's third softball coach, Hutchins spent one year as the head coach at Ferris State University (1982). While at Ferris, she led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and was selected Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Hutchins was an assistant coach at Indiana University (1981) -- under legendary coach Gayle Blevins -- and Michigan (1983-84). A 1979 graduate of Michigan State University, Hutchins displayed her athletic talents in both basketball and softball (1976-79), helping the Spartans to the 1976 Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women National Softball Championship. In 2003, she was chosen as the recipient of the Nell Jackson Award, considered the highest honor the Michigan State Varsity "S" Club can give a female alumna for professional accomplishments and community service. She was also inducted into the Greater Lansing Athletic Hall of Fame in July 2000. Hutchins holds a master's degree in physical education from Indiana (1981). |
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