Trisha Ford was named the head coach of Sun Devil softball by Vice President for University Athletics and Athletics Director Ray Anderson on June 15, 2016.
Arizona State softball played 29 games in the 2020 season, concluding the year with a 22-7 record. ASU hosted four tournaments in the shortened season's five weeks and proved the strength of softball in the desert, recording a 19-4 mark at Farrington Stadium. A believer in numbers speaking for themselves, ASU last ranked No. 15 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll on March 8, 2020. In non-conference competition, the Sun Devils used their depth of big bats to rank first nationally in several categories. ASU led the nation's slugging percentage with a team average of .648, and the 2020 squad was the first NCAA team to reach 50 home runs - no other Power Five team exceeded more than 38 home runs. To achieve the title of the NCAA home run leader, the Sun Devils acted on their 2020 motto: #OnTheBoat - a standard that requires a team-first mentality and next-player-up attitude - to see 50 home runs come from hits by 13 of the team's possible 17 batters.
Pitchers - Ford's bread and butter - excelled in 2020, out-throwing last season's non-conference ERA by a full mark. This season's trio included seniors Cielo Meza and Samantha Mejia and junior Madison Preston with the occasional supplement from freshman Lindsay Lopez. ASU's 2020 pitching staff combined for a 2.24 ERA - through non-conference play in 2019, the pitching staff - which included Meza and Mejia - threw for a 3.50 mark. From the mound, ASU struck out 221 batters and walked only 49 in 181.0 innings pitched while holding opponents to a .202 batting average.
if i could do it all over again, id be right back with Coach Ford without hesitation - earfuls and all
— Morgan Howe (@morgannnriley) January 21, 2020
hands-down THE strongest, toughest, most passionate, and most caring HUMAN ive ever had the opportunity of being guided by, pushed by, and loved unconditionally by.#FordTough https://t.co/DqNcI72jGi pic.twitter.com/oC6tQPrPFL
In her first three seasons as head coach, Ford boasts an impressive 113-50 (.693) record. In her third season at the helm of ASU Softball in 2019, Ford led the Sun Devils to their 15th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Sun Devils finished the year with a 35-20 record, that included a 13-11 mark in Pac-12 play. ASU's 35 games in the win column marked the team's 24th-straight 30 win season, and culminated to a quarter century of straight winning seasons.
The Sun Devils finished fourth in the Pac-12 and boasted a 23-10 record at Farrington. Ford's 2019 squad led the Pac-12 in doubles per game (1.76), on base percentage (.419), slugging percentage (.606), and scoring with an average of 7.47 runs per game. Sun Devil dominance showed on the national stage as ASU landed in the top-5 for home runs per game, doubles per game, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and scoring.
In 2018, Trisha Ford was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year following a season that saw ASU make their 12th NCAA Women's College World Series appearance. The Sun Devils finished the year with a 48-13 record, that included a 16-8 mark in Pac-12 play. The 48 wins on the year marked the team's 23rd- straight 30 win season, and 24th- straight winning season in program history. The 48 wins marked the most in a single season for ASU since winning 50 games in 2013.
In Pac-12 play, the 2018 season marked the Sun Devils' best record since the 2013 season. The 16 conference wins paced ASU to a third place finish, the 29th- top-five finish in conference play in program history, and first top-three finish since 2014.
Ford, widely respected as one of the nations premier pitching coaches, guided the Sun Devil staff to a miniscule 2.32 ERA in just her first season in Tempe (2017), a full point lower than the team's 3.66 mark during the 2016 season.
The prolific Sun Devil offense also made strides during the 2017 season, bringing in 273 runs on nearly 400 hits that included 62 home runs, ASU's 12th- straight season with at least 60 long balls.
Ford took over an illustrious Sun Devil program that lays claim to over 1,600 wins and four national championships. Ford led her Fresno State team to consecutive Mountain West Conference championships in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons en rout to being named the 2016 MWC Coach of the Year. While being an extremely successful collegiate coach, Ford also served as an assistant coach for the 2016 Gold Medal USA Softball Junior Woman’s National Team during the summer of 2016.
“One of the greatest indicators of future success is what someone has accomplished in their past, and based on Trisha’s achievements, we anticipate she will bring great success to Sun Devil Athletics,” said Anderson. “She has elite expectations and recognized the innovative direction that Arizona State is heading. She has great energy and I believe our student-athletes will buy into her vision for the program.”
Prior to arriving in Tempe, Ford led the Fresno State's offense to back-to-back top 35 appearances in batting average in both the 2014 and 15 season, as well as finishing 19th in scoring in 2016. The Bulldog defense was consistently ranked among the top-three fielding team’s in the MWC in Ford’s four seasons at the helm and finished in the top 35 nationally in fielding percentage in 2013 and 2014.
“The job at Arizona State is a great opportunity to coach an elite-level, Pac-12 softball program,” said Ford. “ASU has been a school I have followed closely and it has been a dream of mine to get the chance to coach here in Tempe. The team has such great student-athletes and I can’t wait for us to return the program to national prominence. I am also looking forward to getting out into the community, meeting our former players and getting to know such a loyal and passionate fan base. I would like to thank President Crow, Ray Anderson, Don Bocchi, Scottie Graham and Deanna Garner-Smith for this opportunity to bring home another NCAA Title to Arizona State.”
After taking over the storied Bulldog softball program in June of 2012, Ford claimed her first conference title in 2015 and led Fresno State to back-to-back postseason campaigns. In Ford’s first season with the Bulldogs, Fresno State transitioned into the Mountain West. Since then she has built a record of 68-21 in conference play and an overall record of 142-71-1 (.667), including a record of 82-28-1 (.743) over the past two seasons.
The two-time defending Mountain West Coach of the Year (2015, 2016), Ford led her Bulldogs to consecutive 40-win campaigns in the past two years. That includes a 2016 campaign that saw Fresno State go 42-12-1 with an incredible 22-1 mark in MWC action. The Bulldogs went unbeaten through the month of April and recorded a then-nation-leading 23 game win streak, setting a new school record for consecutive victories.
After enjoying 14 weeks ranked in the nation's top 25, Fresno State closed out the 2016 regular season at No. 18 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 and No. 20 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Coaches Poll – the highest final team ranking since the 2008 season. The 14 weeks in the rankings set a new Mountain West record, as Fresno State became the first MWC team to crack the rankings since 2012.
The Bulldogs registered four of the league's five postseason honors including Kierra Willis as the 2016 Mountain West Player of the Year, Jill Compton as the Pitcher of the Year, senior catcher Paige Gumz as the Defensive Player of the Year and Ford as the reigning Coach of the Year – becoming just the third coach in MWC history to repeat as Coach of the Year. Compton similarly was the third pitcher in league history to earn the award twice.
Ford has been greatly involved with USA Softball as an assistant coach for the Junior National Team and will take her leadership skills back to the national level this summer as she joins the ranks of the USA Senior National team coaching staff. Last season, Ford helped lead the U.S. Junior Team to a gold-medal performance at the World Baseball Softball Confederation Junior Women’s World Championship. Ford guided Kelly Barnhill as she went the distance in the circle for Team USA, tossing 99 pitches and striking out 11, while allowing only one earned run against defending champion Japan.
In 2013, the Americans went 8-1 in the event with its only loss in the tournament final to Japan en route to the silver medal at the International Softball Federation (ISF) X Jr. Women's World Championships with Ford on the staff. The U.S. pitchers did not allow a run in the first eight games that included one no hitter, five one-hitters and two, two-hitters, and overall sported a 0.45 ERA for the tourney with 61 strikeouts, three walks and 16 hits allowed in 46 innings.
In her nine years with the Cardinal prior to Fresno State, Ford helped guide Stanford to its greatest run in school history and a 385-155 (.713) overall record. The team advanced to the postseason in each of Ford’s nine seasons, making six Super Regionals and one Women's College World Series (2004) appearances, and ended the season ranked in the top 10 four times.
At Stanford, Ford served as the primary pitching coach and worked with the infielders while also being responsible for recruiting, community outreach, camps and clinics. Ford helped the Cardinal average 43 wins per season and mentored three of the best hurlers in school history.
Ford oversaw the development of All-American pitchers Missy Penna and Dana Sorenson with Penna finishing her time at Stanford as a two-time All-American and the school record holder in wins (119), strikeouts (1,267), shutouts (50) and innings pitched (1,086.1) while finishing her career with a 1.84 ERA.
Ford also worked with Teagan Gerhart during her latter seasons on ‘The Farm’, guiding Gerhart to top-four marks in career strikeouts and shutouts, a career 2.14 ERA, and 23 victories to help the Cardinal finish the season with a 40-19 record and a No. 20 national ranking.
Prior to joining Stanford's coaching staff, Ford spent two seasons as the head coach at her alma mater - Saint Mary's College in Moraga, Calif. Prior to being named head coach, Ford served as an assistant at Saint Mary's in 2001.
Arguably the best softball player in Saint Mary's history, Ford, the former Trisha Dean, is the only female student-athlete in school history to have her number (9) retired.
In the spring of 2007, Ford was among six former athletes and coaches to be inducted into the Saint Mary's College Hall of Fame. Ford graduated from Saint Mary's with a degree in politics in 1999. A native of Fremont, Calif., she earned nine varsity letters in softball, volleyball and basketball during her prep career at American High School. An All-East Bay pick as a senior, Ford was also a four-time All-Mission Valley Athletic League selection.
Ford and her husband, Eddie, married in the summer of 2005, and have two children, Emma and EJ.
Coach Ford's Career Head Coaching Record
Year School Overall Conference
2002 St. Mary's 17-37
2003 St. Mary's 25-27 7-12
2013 Fresno State 18-13 11-7
2014 Fresno State 17-15 15-9
2015 Fresno State 40-15 20-4
2016 Fresno State 42-12-1 22-1
2017 Arizona State 30-17 9-12
2018 Arizona State 48-13 16-8
2019 Arizona State 35-20 13-11
2020 Arizona State 22-7 NA (cancelled)
Total: 294-176-1
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