TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma head softball coach Patty Gasso was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame as one of eight members of the 2022 Class Thursday evening in Tulsa.
Gasso, already inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012, has become a staple for not only women's sports, but collegiate sports, in the state of Oklahoma. She becomes just the eighth collegiate coach, and first female coach, to receive the highest individual honor the state can bestow and and the 23rd sports figure in the 95-year history of the Hall of Fame.
"This moment is surreal," said Gasso in her acceptance speech Thursday night. "To think a woman, a softball coach from California, would be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, is just overwhelming. I'm truly humbled."
"Thank you to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Committee for this distinguished honor and it's been a pleasure getting to meet all the inductees. I really appreciate them giving me their time and allowing me to get to know them.
"When I reflect on my career at the University of Oklahoma, my thoughts always turn to the loving and gifted people around me. Thank you to my husband for encouraging me, guiding me, keeping me grounded, thank you to my two sons who are here tonight, for allowing me to be a mother and a college coach—which is extremely difficult. Thank you to my assistant coaches, who committed to pushing this program to elite status, thank you to Jackie Livingston, my right-hand woman and longtime director of operations, thank you to President David Boren who hired me 29 years ago, to President Joe Harroz for supporting me and athletic director Joe Castiglione for believing in me, and most of all, thanks to all the athletes who have given us this incredible run. I've had the privilege of working with elite female athletes who are also incredible people. Sometimes their story gets lost in softball, but the success of this program was built on their Championship Mindset, their passionate work ethic and their commitment to excellence."
Entering her 29th season at the University of Oklahoma, Gasso has molded the OU softball program into a national powerhouse and permanently placed herself among the elite college softball coaches in the country.
Under her leadership, the Sooners have won six national championships and are one of only three programs in NCAA history to win more than two national titles. She's led the Sooners to the Women's College World Series 15 times during her tenure and, in the process, advanced to the postseason in each of her 28 seasons.
With 32 seasons as a head coach to her name, Gasso has a career collegiate coaching record of 1,556-403-3 (.793) and holds an overall record of 1,395-344-2 (.801) at the University of Oklahoma. She has won more Big 12 games (376-87; .812) than any coach in the league's history and has more than twice as many overall wins as any other coach in OU history.
The Sooners have claimed 14 Big 12 regular season titles, including an unprecedented 10 straight since the 2012 season, and seven championship titles under her direction. Gasso's Sooner teams have finished second or higher 22 different times in the 26 years since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996.
The high standards she sets for her athletes is evident in the classroom, with more than 150 earning academic all-conference honors and nine becoming Academic All-Americans.
The 2022 Class was formally inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Thursday at a ceremony at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa. Since the Oklahoma Hall of Fame's establishment in 1927, 722 accomplished individuals have received the highest honor the state can bestow.
Oklahoma Hall of Fame Class of 2022
- Sue Ann Arnall, Poteau
- Bob Blackburn, Oklahoma City
- Chet Cadieux, Tulsa
- Patty Gasso, Norman
- F. Roger Hardesty, Tulsa
- Joy Harjo, Tulsa
- Pamela McCauley, Oklahoma City
- Leon Russell (posthumous), Tulsa
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