DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Softball Coaching Staff Enhanced by a Pair of Champions
8/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
Aug. 12, 2010
CHICAGO - DePaul has enhanced its award-winning softball coaching staff with the addition of assistant coach Nancy Evans and the promotion of Samantha Findlay to Director of Softball Operations.
Between the pair, they share a total of seven NCAA Tournament titles. Evans played on three national championship teams at Arizona and was a Wildcat assistant coach on three more national champions. Findlay's game-winning home run in 2005 brought Michigan its only NCAA title.
"The timing was just right, and we were fortunate to add someone like Nancy Evans to our coaching staff," said DePaul head coach Eugene Lenti. "She is going to impart a world of knowledge and experience to our pitchers.
"And elevating Samantha Findlay to Director of Softball Operations is really going to strengthen our softball program overall."
In May, Lenti & Co. were honored as the BIG EAST Conference Coaching Staff of the Year for the third time in the last four years.
Evans, a former Honda Award winner as NCAA Player of the Year in softball, was named an assistant coach on Aug. 4. She replaces pitching coach Cat Osterman, who resigned following the 2010 season.
In 2009, Evans was the pitching coach on the Dutch National Team and helped guide the Netherlands team to its first European Championship title in 19 years. In June, Evans and the Dutch National Team competed in the 2010 World Championships.
Findlay has been a volunteer assistant coach with the Blue Demons the last two seasons after leading Michigan to the NCAA Championship title. She was promoted to Director of Softball Operations on Aug. 10.
The former Lockport four-time, All-Stater completed her college career in 2008, helping the Wolverines to a pair of Big Ten regular-season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles and four NCAA Tournaments.
Findlay was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after her dramatic blast in the 2005 Women's College World Series title game.
A four-time, all-Big Ten honoree, Findlay is Michigan's record holder for home runs (62), RBI (219) and walks (157). In 2005, Findlay was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year along with being the University of Michigan's Freshman of the Year.
Following her collegiate playing days, Findlay was drafted by Chicago Bandits. She had nine home runs, 21 RBI and an impressive .474 slugging percentage.
Evans played on three NCAA champion teams at Arizona from 1994-98, and her 124-8 career pitching record is No. 1 in NCAA softball history. She is also third all-time in career wins.
Evans was invited to the USA Olympic Team tryouts in 2000.
She played professionally from 1998 to 2005, helping Tampa Bay capture the championship of the WPSL (Women's Professional Softball League) in 1999. She was a three-time all-star in the NPF (National Professional Fastpitch) league and most valuable player of the 2004 all-star game.
The two-time, NCAA first team All-American and NCAA first team Academic All-American served as an assistant coach at Arizona from 1998-2007. In that span, she helped lead the Wildcats to three national championships, one runner-up finish and a pair of third-place finishes.
She was an integral part of the Wildcat staff that was named NCAA Coaching Staff of the Year in 2007.
Evans has been inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.
