mistabinks
Glory Road Resident
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I Root For: UTEP Miners
Location: Glory Road - El Paso
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UTEP Softball gets a new coach
UTEP needs to be dominant in CUSA 3.1. Not just competitive in football and dominant in basketball but across the board in all sports. I am hoping this is a step in the right direction.
Quote:Tobin Echo-Hawk, who directed Portland State to four NCAA Tournament appearances and four league titles in the last five years is taking the reigns of a program that went 6-64-1 in Conference USA over the past three years.
"I had a great feel about it," Echo-Hawk said of the Miners. "The research I did about UTEP, about the city of El Paso, it seems like a hidden gem. It can be extremely successful.
"It's in a great softball conference, Conference USA. The facilities are amazing. It's not a small town, but that community support, why can't it be good?"
She takes over for co-coaches Kathleen and James Rodriguez, who started the program. They resigned after a 13-35 mark (2-21 in C-USA) this spring.
"There's a ton of talent; the former coaches did a great job of bringing in talent," Echo-Hawk said. "It's getting them confident, believing in themselves, being a little more competitive in everything. "It's mentality."
Echo-Hawk, a former Italian League MVP as a player, was head coach at Portland State from 2009-13, compiling a record of 146-127 overall and 78-20 in conference.
In their first year in the Big Sky after moving from the Pacific Coast Softball Conference, the Vikings won a co-championship with a 14-4 league record this season, 25-31 overall, and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Vikings lost to Washington and Minnesota in the Seattle regional.
Echo-Hawk earned conference coach of the year honors all five seasons she was at Portland State and eight players won either conference player or pitcher of the year accolades.
"We conducted an extensive national search and felt like Tobin was a great fit with her success as a player and proven ability to lead programs," UTEP athletic director Bob Stull said.
"She has excelled as a head coach at the high school and collegiate levels, repeatedly winning championships and developing All-Conference and All-Academic players.
"We're excited about the future of UTEP softball under her guidance."
Her conference records at Portland State were 15-5 in 2009, 18-2 in '10, 16-4 in '11 and 15-5 in '12, before the 14-4 mark this year.
The Louisville, Colo., native served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Portland State from 2006-08 before becoming head coach.
She previously was a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater Nebraska, from 1996-97, before taking the reins of the softball programs at
Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colo. (1999-2002) and Broomfield High School in Broomfield, Colo. (2003-06).
Her stint at Centaurus produced three state championship appearances (1999-2001) and three league titles (1999-2001). Her tenure at Broomfield resulted in state semifinal berths in 2005 and 2006.
As a player at Nebraska (1992-96), Echo-Hawk was a two-time All-American and a four-time first team All-Conference selection - three times in the Big Eight and once in the Big 12.
Playing third base at Nebraska, Echo-Hawk still holds school single-season records for batting average (.439), doubles (22), runs scored (66) and assists (170). She also holds Cornhusker career records for hits (266) and doubles (48).
She played professionally for the Akron Racers (1998-2000, 2005) and the Rheavendors in the Italian League (2002-04). She was the Italian League MVP in 2002. She is a member of the Colorado ASA Softball Hall of Fame.
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06-21-2013 01:14 PM |
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