Patty Gasso has done an outstanding job piecing national championship softball teams at Oklahoma.
The legendary coach is now charged with putting together a world-caliber roster for the 2028 Olympics.
Gasso was named the head coach for the USA Softball Women’s National Team and will coach Team USA in the 2028 Olympic Games, it was announced on Monday. Team USA has competed in all five previous events at the Olympics (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2020).
Gasso will be the first female coach of Team USA’s softball participant.
The 2028 Olympic Games will be based in Los Angeles, but all indications are the softball event will be held at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
Gasso has led the OU softball program to unprecedented heights with four consecutive national championships.
“It is truly a remarkable moment in my career and a dream come true to be asked to coach Team USA,” said Gasso. “This is the highest honor I could ever receive, and I’m humbled by and thankful for the confidence USA Softball has in me. I have an intense passion to make Team USA the best it can be to help win the gold medal in 2028.”
Mike Candrea is another softball coaching giant. He retired in 2021 as the all-time winningest coach in college softball history (1,674 wins, recently surpassed by Michigan’s Carol Hutchins’ 1,707 victories), he led Arizona to eight national championships. He also guided Team USA in the 2004 Athens Olympics (gold medal) and the 2008 Beijing Games (silver). He coached the Wildcats and managed the Olympic team at the same time.
What does Gasso have ahead of her?
“The first thing, and the most challenging thing, is selecting the team. I mean, that is gut-wrenching. It’s hard to go through that process. And I think once you get your team, then, then you’re more in your comfort zone, because now you’re just developing that team and trying to get the right pieces to the puzzle and keeping people healthy,” Candrea said “And then the challenge is also with the tour and traveling around the country, trying to find competition that’s going to challenge you enough that you can continue to progress and get better. It is a little bit of a challenge, you know, because there’s not many teams that you can put together that are going to be able to challenge the very best in the world.”
Candrea said you can’t get overaggressive with training because you need the team to peak for that one week of Olympic competition. Meanwhile, the planning process includes the search for quality competition to scrimmage. You end up practicing more than playing because it’s difficult to find opponents that will test your team.
“Patty’s got a great resume. She knows how to train athletes. She knows how to put teams together,” Candrea said. “She’s a good motivator. I think at the end of the day, you’re looking at athletes that are basically professionals and so it’s a little bit different than the college game but I’m sure she will navigate through that.”
Balancing college and Team USA isn’t easy, especially when keeping everything in an upper echelon. At some points, you aren’t on the recruiting trail because you’re getting tugged toward the national team.
It’s one day at a time, Candrea said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that no matter what you think, the USA program has got to take high precedence. It is an event that everyone’s got eyeballs on and they’re looking forward to the US being successful. You try to try to navigate those challenges to the best of your abilities,” Candrea said.
There were times when Candrea would coach his Arizona team in the morning and hold Team USA practices in the afternoon. It’s doable, but can be laboring.
There’s only been three other coaches who led Team USA softball at the Olympics: Ralph Raymond in 1996 (gold) and 2000 (gold), Candrea and Ken Eriksen in 2020 (silver).
“USA Softball is proud to announce that Coach Gasso will lead our Women’s National Team for the 2025-2028 quad,” Craig Cress, USA Softball CEO said, referring to the four-year span.. “Throughout her career, Coach Gasso has made a significant impact on the softball community and has greatly contributed to the development of the sport. We are confident that her skills, knowledge and experience will enhance our program and we look forward to supporting Coach Gasso and the Women’s National Team as they strive to represent the U.S. with pride on the highest stage in the coming years.”
Gasso is entering her 31st season at Oklahoma. She’s won eight national championships, including the past four straight. Her 1,676 career wins rank second overall.
“We’re absolutely thrilled for Patty and for USA Softball,” OU athletics director Joe Castiglione said in a statement. “There’s no one more deserving or perfect for this role. It’s always a joy to see others recognize and celebrate what we’re known for years — that Patty is the greatest softball coach in the country.
“Our program will be better for her taking on this opportunity and we can’t wait to cheer her and Team USA onto the gold.”
