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2004 Conference USA Coach Of The Year Gay McNutt has been successful in every aspect of the sport of softball, and throughout her experiences on the diamond, she has been a part of many victorious programs. She learned, as a player, how to win national championships. She learned, as a coach, how to develop teams and make them winners. Now, entering her sixth season as head coach, she continues to lead the Lady Eagle program that is respected for not only for its yearly competitiveness nationally, but regionally as well. McNutt has an overall coaching record of 325-312 in 11 seasons as a head coach, including a 164-144 (.532) mark in her five years at Southern Miss. She is the school's all-time leader in coaching wins, surpassing Lu Harris' total of 115 with a 6-5 victory over Louisiana Tech on March 18, 2004. As Southern Miss' head coach, she has guided the program to a national ranking for three weeks, while receiving votes in nine weeks. In 2005, McNutt reached an important milestone in her coaching career, getting the 300th victory of her head coaching career with a 5-4 victory over Ball State on Feb. 13. She led Southern Miss to 29 wins in 2005, and has won at least 28 games in each of her five years as Lady Eagles' head coach. She has led teams to at least 28 victories in the past seven seasons, and has guided teams to winning seasons in five of the past seven years. In her coaching career, McNutt has coached two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, six CoSIDA Acadamic All-District honorees, one All-American, three NFCA All-South Region selections, one Conference USA MVP, one Conference USA pitcher of the year, 10 All-Conference USA selections, six Conference USA All-Freshmen, one Southland Conference pitcher of the year, one Southland Conference hitter of the year, one Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, 25 All-Southland Conference selections, two Southland Conference Tournament MVP selections and 15 Southland Conference All-Tournament team selections. She has also coached three teams to over 40 wins and four teams to NCAA Regionals. In 2004, McNutt led the Lady Eagles to a 19-4 Conference USA record, as the team won the regular-season title. McNutt also was named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2004, the first time she has received the honor. McNutt's 2004 Southern Miss team also returned to the NCAA Tournament, following a two-year absence, ending the season with a 33-26 overall mark. She guided Southern Miss to back-to-back 28 win seasons in 2003 and 2002, including a second place finish in Conference USA in 2002. In 2001, McNutt, in her first year as the Lady Eagles' head coach, she inherited a squad that lost seven starters, including the National Player of the Year in Courtney Blades and two All-Americans, and guided a group of 12 youthful players to a remarkable 46-21 record, a second-straight Conference USA Tournament championship and third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The team's 46-21 record was the third best record in school history. McNutt came to Southern Miss in 2001 after spending the previous six seasons at Northwestern State University, in Natchitoches, La. While there, she led the Demons to three consecutive Southland Conference Championships (1998, 1999, 2000) and two appearances in the NCAA Regional Tournament (1998 and 2000), earning Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors three times, 1998, 1999, and 2000. In addition, McNutt was named the Louisiana Coach of the Year in 1998, and her whole staff received significant honors, as they were named the 1998 South Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Her first year at NSU finished with a 13-37 record and a ninth-place finish in the conference. By her fourth year, the Demons were established as a dominant force on the field, ending that season with a 40-18 record. In her last three years at NSU, she compiled a record of 64-14. McNutt has been recognized for her efforts in converting Northwestern State from dwelling in the cellar of the Southland Conference into perennial league champions. She was named the Louisiana Coach of the Year in 1998, and her whole staff received significant honors, as they were named the 1998 South Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Before taking the head position at Northwestern State, McNutt spent one year as an assistant coach at Alvin Community College in her hometown of Alvin, Texas. She played a key role in leading the team to a 28-11 record in its inaugural season. McNutt also was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of Houston from 1990 to 1994. She began her coaching career at Louisiana-Lafayette in 1985. While there, she earned her bachelor's degree in behavior science, and was the assistant coach for both the women's basketball and softball teams from 1985 to 1989. McNutt played her collegiate ball at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, where she was an All-American catcher for the Aggies from 1981-85. During her career as an Aggie, the team won one AIAW (Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) National Championship and one NCAA Championship. She was named to the all-region team all four years. The McNutt File
Coaching Experience
McNutt's Year-By-Year Head Coaching Record
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