I mean, you can make an argument for or against Ford, but if it isn't Ford I don't see how you don't give it to the South Carolina coach.

Snub or not, this a great nugget from Kay here. I'm also thinking Coach wants trophies rather than media titles.

Since the creation of the ESPN/USA Softball Poll in 2005, Trisha Ford became the second fastest head coach to bring a new program to No. 1, doing so in just 159 games in Aggieland.

But not SEC co-Coach of the Year...

— Kay Naegeli (@KayNaegeli) May 9, 2025

I can honestly see where this might be one of those weird deals where a Coach / Player receives a national award despite not getting the same at the conference level... Like an All American that isn't All Conference. Weird but it does happen from time to time.

RED AG 98 said:

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Snub or not, this a great nugget from Kay here. I'm also thinking Coach wants trophies rather than media titles.

Since the creation of the ESPN/USA Softball Poll in 2005, Trisha Ford became the second fastest head coach to bring a new program to No. 1, doing so in just 159 games in Aggieland.

But not SEC co-Coach of the Year...

— Kay Naegeli (@KayNaegeli) May 9, 2025

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Kay did a great job on that nugget.

In regards to SEC Coach of the year I'm convinced whoever voted on it looked at the standings and picked based off of that. Gasso has done a lot with how much talent she lost last year but what Ford has done in her 3rd year with the program is insane

I did think about the SC and sooner coaches when I posted Kay's article and commented on it. Of course I AM looking at this through maroon-tinted shades but ...

SC coach did a great job. We have been told a few times they were picked to finish last in the SEC but they finished tied for 7th, very impressive. She brought a ton of her top players from her previous school and used them as a nucleus for this year's team and it worked out well. If next year's team makes it to the top 3 or 4 in the SEC and in the top 10 in the rankings would definitely be in the running for coach of the year by herself.

I have been impressed with the sooner staff for years. Each year they get 2-3 or more of the top 10 players in the country and several more in the top 20 because they have had an elite program for years that really attracts the best players in the country, they pay great NIL salaries, etc. She did have to replace a lot of starters but with a bench full of super-talented top 10 backups, basically a bench full of all stars, who had many innings of playing time under their belts it was quite a bit easier. She did a good job. Note that they have 6 of the top 11 in the PG softball class of 2025 so their great years will continue!

sooners lost 3 SEC series, Ags lost 2. Ford took a team not in the top 25 to the #1 team in three years. Finished a very close 2nd in the toughest conference. To do this she had to take the players who were here, I do not think any of them were top 20 recruits, bring in players she could get to believe in her and get them onboard with her style of play. And not spending big bucks doing it !!! She basically turned a bunch of really good but not top 10 players and turned them into a very good team. Note that wIth her success the Ags will start getting a few of those really highly rated players each year, too.

Sooo, I think Ford should have come out on top OR her and Gasso should have shared the award but with the SC coach in a very, very close 2nd place.

I agree with everything you said!

Due to expected inclement weather in the Athens, Ga., area - tomorrow's SEC Title game has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET. https://t.co/vyOR3vYnoT

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 10, 2025

Heads up

[Also posted this in the A&M-tu game thread]

By Grace Wesoly, SEC Network

ATHENS, Ga. -- The 2-seed Aggies started fast and never slowed down en route to a 14-2 run-rule of the 3-seed Longhorns on Friday evening at Jack Turner Stadium. Texas A&M made numerous additions to the SEC Tournament record books with the semifinal rout and clinched its first champ game appearance since joining the conference in 2013.

Texas A&M's 14 runs were the most scored by a team in an SEC Tournament game all-time, breaking its own program record. The double-digit game also totals 26 runs for the Aggies in this SEC tourament, the second-most by a team in a single SEC tourney. [I think the record is 27 by Florida so we need to score at least 2 runs tomorrow!]

The Aggies' six-run first frame marked the most runs scored in a first inning by any team in an SEC Tournament game all-time. It was also their second-most runs in the first inning this season and the tied for the most Texas has allowed in any inning this season.

Additionally, Texas A&M's second-stright run-rule win marked just the second time in SEC tourney history that a team had multiple run-rule wins in the same tournament. The last to accomplish such a feat was LSU in 1999 en route to its first SEC Tournament title.

We are a women's sports school, so this needs to be bumped to the top of the board.

Way to go ladies. Outperforming expectations is not something we are used to.

A very strong case can be made for Trisha being not only the best coach on campus (and yes some very stiff competition amongst the ladies coaches) but maybe the best damn hire we've made since Jackie Sherrill. And no I don't think that's hyperbole. Tell me who's been better.

At the moment you are correct! Historically it's Pat Henry and all he's done for women's track! His women's team is ranked 2nd in the country right now. Jamie Morrison made a sweet sixteen in volleyball in his 2nd year like Trisha Ford, and year 3 is expected to be so much better! I love how quickly and the trajectory they have their programs on! Both at every similar in their successful roster management and passion for the game! (Shout out to the new volleyball board on TexAgs, go check it out wink wink)! Golf has had recent success as well!

Now if only we were to fire our losing women's basketball and soccer coach and we'd honestly have one of the best women's sports programs in the nation!

Have to add historically the equestrian team. Early part of this century they won a ton of national championships. Recently, the women's tennis team won the national championship last year and just advanced to the Elite 8 in the tournament yesterday. They were hosting a super regional. It was a very tense match. A nail-biter. A quote from the press release after the match, "The Maroon & White became the lone team to advance to the last four Elite Eights in the NCAA Tournament." And this about their #1 player, "With her win today, Stoiana finished 47-0 in dual action at Mitchell Tennis Center, concluding her legendary career at home." Undefeated at home. Right there in College Station.

And I am sure there are more!

Interesting related thread that I could not resist opening this morning to read comments:

"Can we just hire Trisha Ford as our baseball coach and be done with it?"

https://texags.com/forums/8/topics/3542067

I did not make any comments on the thread but, of course, there were those who respect Coach Ford and the team along with other comments on the sport. And, of course, the apples and oranges argument. Note that I've known a lot of guys in the past who said it is not a sport, the players are not athletes, etc. yet when being asked not one of them had ever seen much less attended a softball game. I played football, baseball (C and 3B) and ran track in my youth but have grown to love softball over the years. Awesome sport. A truly awesome sport.

Looks like rain today. Just our luck. Another rainout in Georgia.

if the game is rained out I think we get the number 1 national seed!

Swift

Pat was a stud before he got here. So him doing well was expected.

What Ford is doing is a little different.

Right you are - he won a ton of national championships at LSU before coming to A&M. But as the football team has found out past success does not guarantee future results - and in our case cost the school a TON of money because of lofty expectations that did not work out.

Look at the history of the team:

https://12thman.com/sports/2025/1/8/track-field-history

The team had done little but in a few years he built the team into a powerhouse. A lot of national championships there!

Coach Ford took on a decent team and turned it into a very, very competitive team a couple of years sooner.

He was recognized for what he did and she is being recognized for what she is doing now.

The best thing? I think Coach Ford will stay around for awhile !!

"Another rainout in Georgia"

I also checked the radar in the Athens area this morning. Does not look good. I wonder how long the SEC is willing to postpone the game because of the weather? Probably not much. I want to play the game. We will use our 'other' pitchers and they will start their ace. They saved her for today whilst Coach Ford wanted to use Lefty two games in a row to prepare her for the NCAA tourney. Both valid arguments. I think they will score runs on us, perhaps a lot, but maybe we can continue the 'hit parade' and match them run for run.

We'll see.

I almost compared him to Jimbo but Jimbo was showing warts before he came here, won in an easy conference. That was not the case for Pat. Pat is a Saban type of coach. A legend we were able to get. That is just very rare to do.

Without going a really long way back my favorite football coach was RC Slocum. Had a lot of great teams. Just was never able to go all the way and grab the big trophy at the end. Was not flashy but just a down to earth guy.

Can't help but think with the momentum and trajectory of the program, Coach Ford has to be loading up on talent. To the extent that this could sustain for a while. Any updates?

So if the game cancels today, does it not get made up? Would we be "co champs"?

I really hope we can play.

Someone posted that if the game is rained out the highest seeded team is crowned the tourney champ, according to SEC rules. Sounds right but I think it should be co-champs with the infamous * in the history books.

Unfortunately, for the Ags, the sooners are the highest seed so they would be crowned champs.

And they would probably grab the #1 seed in the big tournament.

So, they would be solo champs twice because of rainouts. There are lots of indians in Oklahoma, who knew they were doing rain dances to help out the Sooners!

I wanted to add the pitching strategy thing. Recall the TN coach said we beat them in the third game because she did not start her ace.

Yesterday the sooners did not start their ace. The sips did not start either of their top two pitchers.

I did not watch any of their pressers or articles before or after the games yesterday and so have no idea what their thinking was but my thought is that they were saving their aces for today, figuring they were good enough to win the semi without her/them. Worked out for the sooners but not the sips.

Coach Ford said in the presser after the game that she wanted to start Lefty on consecutive days to prepare her for the big tournament. Not a darn thing wrong with that.

When it comes down to it today's game does not really matter - the teams will be either #1 or #2 seed. Both are good, to say the least. But I would like to play the game!

Heavy rain thru 9am. The system may lift North of Athens, it might. Putting in my good vibes, I want to see our bats get a hold of Landry!

I wonder if part of the pitching decisions was because she knows tu has seen Kennedy so many times, but OU hasn't. There's a high chance we see both teams again and if we play OU it'll be in OKC where they'll be facing Kennedy for the first time! As tu has faced Kennedy so many times, but not our other pitchers as much! So it could be beneficial come WCWS

TexAgof08 said:

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Can't help but think with the momentum and trajectory of the program, Coach Ford has to be loading up on talent. To the extent that this could sustain for a while. Any updates?

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I dug up a Word doc I have of the 2025 (signed) and 2026 (commits) classes. Note that I created it many months ago and have not updated or re-verified the 2026 commits. May be more, may be fewer names. And the transfer portal opens soon so might lose or add players then. If anyone can add or subract from the list please let me know. Please also recall we have Ariel Kowalweski, the 3b transfer from Florida (was their starter), sitting out the year because she was a late transfer from an SEC school. She will be available next Spring. Note the very highly ranked OF'ers in the 2026 class.

Class of 2025 (signed)

Annsley Groce, OF, Keller, TX (July 2024, changed her commitment from Northwestern State to Texas A&M because of a coaching change.)
.625 BA, .683 OBP, 55 SB, 2nd in the state in 100m dash

Piper White, OF, Jackson, TN. 5'3", 90 lbs, small strike zone!
2024 AB 86, BA .419, Runs 41, Hits 36, RBI 7, 2B 3, 3B 2, HR 1, BB 13, K 7

Madison Sauni, C/1B/3B, Chandler, AZ. Power hitter. #28 in the 2025 Extra Elite 100 and #13 Catcher in the Class of 2025.
-------------------
Class of 2026 (recruits sign in Nov 2025)

Taylor Hampton, 3B/OF, Gilbert, AZ. Power hitter. Ranked #43 nationally by PG Softball.
Aubrey Moore, SS/P, Acworth, GA (OU recruited as a pitcher), ranked #50
Presley "PK" Kilgore, C/3B, Emory, TX. All-State 3A 2023, 2024
Reagan Rohrlich, CF, The Woodlands, TX. Ranked #1 OF in TX by @ExtraInningSB, track star.
Milan Torres, CF, Buford, GA. Ranked #3 nationally by PG Softball.
Darby Burnett, RHP/1B, Bentonville, AR
Abreya Perry, OF, Valley Center, KS. #2 Extra Elite 100

I don't think the pitching decision goes much beyond what Coach Ford said. She wanted to get Kennedy ready for back-to-back days against Top 10 competition.

I thought, briefly, that Coach Ford would be all over California kids because of her past coaching positions.
Not one kid, lol. Taking several out of Georgia. Interesting and thanks for those "groovy", right on time notes, Frankie!

I also like a 5'3" tall recruit. I always stress pitch selection to shorter kids. Make that pitcher throw you strikes in your 17" high x 17" wide strike zone. It's not easy!

Not sure if I allowed to post a photo from D1 softball article. She doesn't look overly short in the pic.

frankie00 said:

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I wanted to add the pitching strategy thing. Recall the TN coach said we beat them in the third game because she did not start her ace.

Yesterday the sooners did not start their ace. The sips did not start either of their top two pitchers.

I did not watch any of their pressers or articles before or after the games yesterday and so have no idea what their thinking was but my thought is that they were saving their aces for today, figuring they were good enough to win the semi without her/them. Worked out for the sooners but not the sips.

Coach Ford said in the presser after the game that she wanted to start Lefty on consecutive days to prepare her for the big tournament. Not a darn thing wrong with that.

When it comes down to it today's game does not really matter - the teams will be either #1 or #2 seed. Both are good, to say the least. But I would like to play the game!

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To me, Based on the risk/reward yesterday's win was more likely and more important for seeding going forward.

Texas did not play their ace… better chance to win. If we lose, we might drop out of the top 4.
OU may play their ace today…less chance to win even with EK. If we don't play EK we still look good, even with a loss. Just don't get run-ruled.
OU game may be rained out. We may end up ranked #1.

Texas could have thought the same against us. However they did not expect to get run ruled.

Ford may not say this was her strategy but if it was, I say it was smart.

While we wait. Arizona vs Tech on ESPN. Should be a good game and have some hosting implications

The Vols had used the stud at the end of the second game and were starting to figure her out. That's the reason she did not start in the 3rd game. The coach using that as an excuse falls on deaf ears to me. But from what little I know of her sounds just like something she would state. And of course stud goes down against the Hogs so I wonder what excuse she had after that one.

As far as Texas not starting their Ace. She was pulled the day prior bc she started getting lit up. My guess is their coach was concerned with possibly getting lit up two days in a row prior to the real tourney. He did not want to blow her confidence even more. So he starts the girl we lit up last year in the SR. And we do it again. Thanks sippy coach.

I like we will see the OU pitcher. She's their primary one so seeing her might play big dividends if we see them again.