During her first three seasons on the job, Laura Watten has brought a dynamic new energy to the Maryland softball program as the Terps enter their 2009 season. The fourth-year Terrapin mentor has transformed the culture surrounding the Maryland program and brought an exciting brand of softball to Robert E. Taylor Stadium. The Terps have improved their win total in each of Watten's three seasons and rewritten the school record books in the process. None of it should be surprising, though. Watten's way is the "can-do" way, and it is precisely the approach the coach has taken in her quest to drive Maryland's softball program to national prominence. Hired just prior to the start of the 2005-06 academic year, Watten has worked extensively to elevate all aspects of the program - recruiting, scheduling, student-athlete development - in an effort to put the Terps in a position to succeed on a national scale. If Watten's past success and the results in her first three years at Maryland are indicators, the Terps are well on their way to making their mark. The 2008 campaign saw Watten's Terps post the third-highest win total (36) in team history, including a school-record 16-game winning streak early in the season. Maryland used a blazing 19-1 start to achieve national rankings in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 and the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 polls for the first time since 1999. Seniors Sarde Stewart and Jenny Belak garnered All-ACC honors and were named to the NFCA Louisville Slugger All-Mid-Atlantic Region First Team. In 2007, the Maryland program reaped the full benefits of Watten's recruiting efforts. Nine newcomers joined the team, including five transfers, and Maryland's lineup was transformed into an offensive juggernaut. The Terps shattered previous team records for home runs with 59 and stolen bases with 98 and set numerous individual records. Amber Jackson, a Bethune-Cookman transfer who followed Watten to Maryland, had the greatest offensive season in school history, setting new single-season records for batting average (.408), runs (61), home runs (24), RBIs (56) and walks (55). Jackson led the NCAA in home runs and was a first-team All-America selection by Easton. During Watten's first season in College Park in 2006, the Terps improved their win total by four victories from the previous season. Belak set a team-record with 70 hits to lead a rejuvenated offense. "In her first three seasons as the head coach of Maryland softball, Coach Watten has effectively begun to infuse the program with the culture, expectations and student-athletes she believes are necessary to take the Terrapins to the next level of competitive success," said senior associate athletic director Chris Boyer. "We fully expect that Laura will have the Terps battling for ACC Championships and a return to the NCAA Softball Regionals in the very near future, while maintaining the commendable level of academic success her teams have consistently achieved, and providing a first-class collegiate experience for her student-athletes." Considered one of the rising young coaches in the college game, Watten was fresh off leading Bethune-Cookman College of Daytona Beach, Fla., to the 2005 NCAA Division I Super Regionals when she was tapped to lead the Terps' program. In guiding the Wildcats to a 49-win season - including a regional title over host Florida, South Florida and Central Florida - Watten was named the 2005 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Southeast Region Coach of the Year. Her team ended the 2005 season with a No. 18 final ranking by the NFCA/USA Today. During Watten's eight years at B-CC, the Wildcats made five NCAA Regional appearances and captured five conference titles. The four-time MEAC coach of the Year posted an eight-year mark of 322-207 and averaged more than 40 wins per season. B-CC's signature campaign under Watten came in 2005, the 49-win effort highlighted by a title at the NCAA's Gainesville Regional, as well as victories over Florida (twice), Northwestern, Central Florida, South Florida, Virginia Tech, Florida Atlantic and UMass, all of which advanced to the 2005 NCAA Tournament. In total, the Wildcats were 21-17 against teams that finished in the top 100 of the NCAA's RPI (Rating Percentage Index) that year. Statistically in 2005, the Wildcats ranked fourth in the nation in stolen bases per game, 10th in batting average and team ERA, 12th in double plays turned and 25th in scoring. Off the field, Watten's teams have posted a team GPA of 3.0 or better every year and boast a near-percent graduation rate. Watten's players have been cited as NFCA Academic All-Americans more than 30 times, and 11 Terps have earned ACC All-Academic honors during her tenure in College Park. Watten is a 1992 graduate of the University of Texas-Arlington, where she played catcher and first base and helped her team to a conference title in 1989 and a pair of top 25 rankings. She was a three-time all-conference selection for the Mavericks and went on to an assistant coaching position at the school. She was named head coach at Bethune-Cookman prior to the 1998 season. A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Watten has served on the NCAA South Region ranking committee and the NFCA's Top 25 voting panel. She also has been an active member of the Diversity Committee within the NFCA. Watten is currently enrolled in graduate school at Texas Women's University, where she is working on a master's degree in kinesiology. A native of Dallas, Texas, Watten resides in Annapolis, Md.. Her parents, Nancy and Paul, are their daughter's biggest fans and are prominent fans at Terp games. |
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