Oklahoma has long been the team to beat in college softball. Head coach Patty Gasso is a big reason why.
The Sooners are among the most decorated teams in collegiate athletics under Gasso's tenure, capturing three consecutive national titles with the legendary skipper barking out orders from the dugout. They have a chance at an unprecedented fourth when they face off against No. 1 Texas in the second game of the Women's College World Series final, needing just one win to capture glory (again).
Gasso has been in the game for about as long as anyone can remember. She's led OU to national championship triumphs on seven different occasions and nearly 1,500 wins. All the while, she's overseen some of softball's grandest talents; over the course of her coaching career, 79 All-Americans, 16 Big 12 Players of the Year, 12 Big 12 Pitchers of the Year and two USA Softball Players of the Year have walked through OU's halls. With 15 different conference Coach of the Year honors on her resume, it's easy to see why.
Gasso was born to be a coach. But she hasn't always been one. Before she was handing out lineup cards, Gasso embarked on a legendary playing career at El Camino City College and, eventually, Long Beach State. For her efforts, she was enshrined into Long Beach State's Hall of Fame in 2013.
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The Sporting News takes a look back at Gasso's lesser known playing career, a short but splendid spell that laid the groundwork for her coaching successes.
Where did Patty Gasso play college softball?
Gasso played softball at two different schools: El Camino City College and Long Beach State.
Gasso, a Torrance, California, native, described herself as a "speedy, strong-armed infielder with an above average bat" during her Long Beach State days, per a 2005 Oklahoma Daily piece. She missed out on postseason success, finishing her career at The Beach two seasons before her alma mater made its first Women's College World Series appearance.
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Nevertheless, she learned a lot at her former stomping grounds. She proceeded to impart her wisdom on the next generation of softball greats, returning to the dugouts in 1990 — this time, as the coach of Long Beach City College.
After four years back in the Beach, Gasso took her talents to Norman. Over the course of the following 29 years, Gasso turned OU — minnows on the national stage prior to her hire — into a powerhouse, the first of its kind outside the West Coast.
Patty Gasso coaching timeline
Gasso has only been at the helm at two programs during her coaching career. At Long Beach City College, which she piloted from 1990-1994, Gasso captured four conference crowns, two regional titles and California Coach of the Year honors. She registered a 161-59-1 record during her five seasons with the Vikings.
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After an impressive spell in Long Beach, Gasso made the leap to Division I, inking a deal with the Sooners. It represented money well spent for Oklahoma, which has since become the preeminent power in college softball since her hire. Gasso hasn't done too poorly for herself, either; in 2012, Gasso was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
In total, Gasso has a 1,457-345-2 record in Norman. She sits tied for third on the list of Division I's all-time winningest coaches, trailing Carol Hutchins (1,707) and Mike Candrea (1,674). If she desires to continue lead Oklahoma's troops out onto the diamond, she should shatter Hutchins' record in the coming few seasons.
| Rank | Coach | Team(s) | Years | Wins |
| 1. | Carol Hutchins | Ferris State, Michigan | 1982, 1985-2022 | 1,707 |
| 2. | Mike Candrea | Arizona | 1986-2003, 2005-07, 2009-21 | 1,674 |
| 3. | Patty Gasso | Oklahoma | 1995-present | 1,457 |
| Margie Wright | Illinois State, Fresno State | 1980-85, 1986-2012 | 1,457 | |
| 5. | Ralph Weekly | Pacific Lutheran, Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1986-1994, 1995-98, 2001, 2002-21 | 1,452 |
