Julie Wright Named Akron's Head Softball Coach
July 16, 2004
Article courtesy of Akron Athletic Media Relations
AKRON, Ohio - University of Akron director of athletics Mike Thomas announced Friday the hiring of Julie Wright as head softball coach. Wright, a native of Westerville, Ohio, takes over the Zips program after spending the last five seasons as the top assistant at Kansas. She begins her duties at UA on July 19.
"Julie brings a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm to our softball program," Thomas said. "She has an excellent recruiting background, and understands the Mid-American Conference and this geographic footprint. She can also teach the game, is a strong communicator and has the ability to motivate student-athletes. Julie also understands the external side, the importance of fund-raising and connecting with our alumni base. I think she is a great fit chemistry-wise for our department and will hit the ground running."
"I'm excited about the Akron job and can't wait to get started," Wright said. "I'm thankful to Mike Thomas and the administration for the opportunity and think this is a great match for both of us. The University has made great strides in recent years and I want the softball program to be a part of that success."
In her time at Kansas, Wright served as coordinator of recruiting, academics and scheduling. She was responsible for the development of the outfielders, middle infielders and served as hitting instructor. She was instrumental in the development of 2001 first-team All-Region selection Leah Tabb and 2002 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Christi Musser. In 2001, Wright helped KU finish in a tie for third place in the Big 12 Conference regular-season race and her work with the slap hitters led to a more than 50-point increase in team batting average between the 2000 and 2001 campaigns. The 2004 squad posted a 33-28-1 mark, the program's fourth-consecutive winning season.
No stranger to the Mid-American Conference, the 32-year-old Wright competed for Ohio from 1990-94, logging three seasons as a starting outfielder and her senior year as shortstop. She spent the 1996-99 seasons as an assistant coach for the Bobcat program. Wright graduated from the school in 1995 with a sociology degree with an emphasis in criminology.
"I'm looking forward to coming back to the MAC, a league I played in and had a chance to coach in," Wright said. "It's also a positive to come back to Ohio because I'm familiar with the recruiting area. Hopefully we can make some noise in the MAC soon."
Following graduation, Wright spent one year (1995) as an assistant scheduler for Ohio Governor George Voinovich. She also worked for one year (1996) as a parole officer in the Department of Rehabilitation/Correction in Columbus, Ohio.
Wright replaces former UA head coach Deanna Parks who resigned her position in May. Wright hopes to have her staff, which includes an assistant coach and a graduate assistant, in place by early August.
