Dec. 16, 2009
NORMAL, Ill. - During her head coaching career, Illinois State head softball coach Melinda Fischer has received numerous awards for her achievements as a college coach. Her most recent honor may top them all. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced its class of 2010 Hall of Fame inductees, and Fischer will receive the elite honor next December. The induction ceremony will take place at the annual NFCA National Convention, which will be held in San Diego.
The NFCA Hall of Fame was established in 1991. With the addition of the class of 2010, total membership will be 53 hall of famers. Joining Fischer as part of that class will be Florida Southern coach Chris Bellotto, and Nebraska coach Rhonda Revelle.
Only 17 head coaches in the history of NCAA Division I softball can claim to have won at least 800 games in their coaching career. Fischer, now in her 25th season at the helm of the Redbird softball program, can claim such an honor.
Fischer's 808 career victories, spread out among 26 seasons as a collegiate head coach at both Eastern Illinois [1979-80] and Illinois State [1986-present], rank her as the 17th-winningest coach in NCAA Division I softball history. She's continued her historical rise through the career coaching ranks with her 800th-career victory at Illinois State, a feat she achieved via a two-game sweep win over Indiana State April 1, 2009.
Fischer has more wins in her Illinois State head coaching career than any other coach in Redbird Athletics history, with an ISU softball head coaching record that stands at 808-528-4 (.604) entering the 2010 season. She earned her 714th-career victory at Illinois State April 14, 2007, with a win over Drake, and in the process, passed legendary Redbird baseball coach Duffy Bass as the all-time winningest coach in Redbird Athletics history. Fischer is not only the Missouri Valley Conference's winningest coach of all-time, but also its winningest coach in conference play.
During her 24 seasons at the helm of the Illinois State softball program, Fischer has directed the Redbirds to national prominence, most recently with their sixth NCAA Regional appearance in 2007, the program's second-straight at-large bid.
Fischer has led her teams to nine regular-season Valley titles, including four in the last eight seasons. She also has two Gateway regular-season championships to her credit, as well as three Valley Tournament titles.
A recipient of six MVC Coach of the Year honors, Fischer has led a coaching staff that was honored as both the Missouri Valley Conference Coaching Staff of the Year and the Speedline/NFCA Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the year in 2006. Two regional coach of the year citations, 16 All-Americans, five College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-Americans and countless other honors highlight Illinois State's success under Fischer.
Her success and devotion to softball extends beyond Illinois State, as she was the first recipient of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Distinguished Service Award at the Speedline Coach of the Year/NFCA Hall of Fame Banquet in December 2002.
As an athlete at Illinois State, Fischer helped lead the Redbirds to a second-place finish at the 1969 Women's College World Series. Her contribution to the team led to her induction into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame. She has also been inducted as a coach.
Knowing she would work her way back to NCAA Division I softball, Fischer started a three-year coaching stint at Eastern Illinois in 1976 after earning her master's degree at ISU. Fischer was originally hired as the head women's basketball coach, a post she held for three years. She took over the Panther softball program after her first year.
Fischer took over the helm of Illinois State softball in the fall 1985. In her 23 seasons as head coach of the Redbirds, she has compiled a .598 winning percentage.
In 1988, her team advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Then in 1995, her squad compiled 46 wins - the third-highest total by any team in ISU Athletics history - and claimed another conference title with a 19-1 MVC mark. Not only does Fischer have a knack for winning and attracting quality players, she is a respected leader in the softball community.
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