Melinda Fischer

Last updated

Melinda Fischer (born 1950 or 1951) is a retired softball and basketball coach who was active from the 1970s to 2020s. As an AIAW coach, Fischer coached the women's basketball and softball teams at Eastern Illinois University during the 1970s. With Illinois State University, her team reached the second round of the 1981 AIAW National Division I Basketball Championship and the third place game of the 1982 National Women's Invitational Tournament. The following year, her team won the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament and reached the first round of the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. In 1985, Fischer's team competed in the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament and she received the Coach of the Year for the Gateway Conference.

Contents

After becoming Illinois State's softball coach in 1985, Fischer's team won the Gateway Conference Tournament and reached the final of the Midwest Regional at the NCAA Division I softball tournament in 1988. Between 1995 and 2012, Fischer received five Coach of the Year awards and won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament four times. Her team also competed in the 2017 National Invitational Softball Championship. After accumulating over 1110 wins with Illinois State before leaving the team in 2022, Fischer had the most wins by a Missouri Valley Conference softball coach. That year, she was in the top 25 for most wins by a NCAA softball coach with her combined wins with the two universities. Fischer became part of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010.

Early life and education

Fischer was born in the early 1950s and grew up in Pekin, Illinois. During her childhood, she played catch by herself with a tennis ball and baseball glove. [1] During her teens, she played with a softball. [2] In team sports, she was on a softball team as part of the Pekin Lassie League. [3] Fischer also played basketball as an AAU athlete. [2]

While attending Illinois State University, Fischer was on the softball team that finished second at the 1969 Women's College World Series. [4] In basketball, her team competed in the 1972 AIAW National Basketball Championship. [5] At Illinois State, she was also on their field hockey team. [6]

Career

1970s

During the early 1970s, Fischer went to Joliet and was a middle school teacher. [3] In the mid-1970s, Fischer worked for the women's basketball and softball teams at Illinois State in graduate assistant positions. [7] [8] During 1975, Fischer was a high school teacher and multi-sport coach in Peoria. The following year, Fischer began working at Eastern Illinois University. [8] While coaching their women's basketball team from 1976 to 1979, Fischer had 37 wins and 30 losses in the AIAW. [9] With Eastern Illinois's softball team, Fischer had 41 wins and 25 losses as their coach from 1978 to 1979. [10] In August 1979, Fischer started assistant coaching positions for the basketball and softball teams at Illinois State. [11]

Illinois State basketball

As co-head coach of the basketball team with Jill Hutchison from 1980 to 1985, Fischer had 113 wins and 47 losses with Illinois State. [12] During this time period, her team competed at the 1981 AIAW National Division I Basketball Championship and reached the second round. [13] [14] At the National Women's Invitational Tournament, Fischer and Illinois State made it to the third place game in 1982. [15] [16] In 1983, her team won the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament. [17] As a NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament competitor, Illinois State reached the first round that year with Fischer. [18] [19] They also entered the 1985 NCAA event and competed in the first round. [20] [21]

Illinois State softball

In August 1985, Fischer became the coach for Illinois State's softball team. [22] Fischer's softball team were the 1988 Gateway Conference Tournament winners. [23] That year, Illinois State and Fischer reached the final of the Midwest Regional during the 1988 NCAA Division I softball tournament. [24] [25] In 1992, the Missouri Valley Conference and Gateway Conference were combined. [26] At the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Fischer's softball team won the event in 1995 and 2000. [27] [28] Further Missouri Valley Conference Tournament wins for softball by Fischer's team occurred in 2001 and 2012. [29] [30] Apart from the Missouri Valley Conference, Illinois State competed in the 2017 National Invitational Softball Championship with Fischer. [31]

In 2007, Fischer broke Duffy Bass's record for most wins by an Illinois State coach. [32] She won her 1000th game in 2015 and her 1100th game in 2020. [33] [34] Fischer ended her softball career in 2022 after accumulating 1118 wins, 842 losses and 4 ties with Illinois State. [35] In 2022, Fischer had the most wins by a Missouri Valley Conference softball coach. [36] That year, Fischer's combined total of wins with Eastern Illinois and Illinois State placed her in the top 25 for most wins by a NCAA softball coach. [37]

Additional positions

In 1993, Fischer joined the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as a volunteer. That year, she became their First Vice-President and held the position for five years. [38] In 2004, Fischer was part of a planned group to help Illinois State hire an athletic director. [39] She joined the NFCA DI All-American Committee for 2018 to 2021. [40]

Awards and honors

As part of the Gateway Conference, Fischer was one of the Coach of the Year winners for women's basketball in 1985. [41] In softball, Fischer received the Coach of the Year award for the Gateway Conference in 1987. [42] With the Missouri Valley Conference, Fischer was the Coach of the Year four times from 1995 to 2001 and a co-winner of the 2006 Coaching Staff of the Year for softball. [36] In 2007, Fischer was named part of the Softball All-Centennial Team for the MVC. [43]

Fischer joined the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame in 1987 as a member of their softball team from 1969. [44] As an individual, she joined this hall of fame in 1993. [45] In 2010, funding was given to start creating the Melinda Fischer Softball Field at Illinois State. [46] For the university, Fischer joined their College of Applied Science and Technology Hall of Fame in 2016. [47]

In 2002, Fischer won the Distinguished Service Award from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. [48] The award became the Melinda Fischer Distinguished Service Award in 2018. [38] Fischer joined the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010. [49]

Related Research Articles

The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. Eight teams participate in the WCWS, which begins with a double-elimination tournament. In other words, a team is eliminated when it has lost two games. After six teams have been eliminated, the remaining two teams compete in a best-of-three series to determine the Division I WCWS National Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College softball</span> Softball played on the intercollegiate level

College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the Intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois State Redbirds</span> Collegiate sports club in the United States

The Illinois State Redbirds are the athletic teams that represent Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Teams play at the NCAA Division I level. The football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while most other teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The fight song is Go, You Redbirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana State Sycamores</span>

The Indiana State Sycamores are the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic teams of Indiana State University. Since the 1977–78 academic year, Indiana State has been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The Indiana State football team has competed in Division I FCS since the 1982 season, and has been a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) since it was spun off from the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (Gateway) when the latter league merged into the MVC in 1992. Past conference memberships include the Indiana College Athletic League (1895–1922), the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference (1922–1950), the Indiana Collegiate Conference (1950–1968) and the Midwestern Conference (1970–1972). The women's teams were Gateway members from the league's 1982 founding until its absorption by the MVC. In 1986, a year after the Gateway took on football as its only men's sport, the Sycamores football team joined that conference.

Kristi Mary Rose Cirone is an American basketball coach and former player. She played collegiately for Illinois State University and led the school to three national postseason tournaments in 2007 through 2009 while also being named the Jackie Stiles Player of the Year all three years. After her college career, she played professionally with the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Hutchins</span> American softball coach

Carol Sue Hutchins is an American former softball coach. In 38 years as the head coach of Michigan Wolverines softball, (1985–2022), she won more games than more than any other coach in University of Michigan history in any sport, male or female with 1,684 wins. Hutchins had a career record of 1,707 wins, 551 losses, and five ties, for a .759 winning percentage. She led the Wolverines to their first NCAA softball championship in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Wolverines softball</span> University of Michigan softball team

The Michigan Wolverines softball team represents the University of Michigan in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I competition. College softball became a varsity sport at the University of Michigan in 1978. Bonnie Tholl has been the head coach since 2023, following the retirement of longtime head coach Carol Hutchins. In 2005, Hutchins' team became the first Division I softball team since 1976 from east of the Mississippi River to win the Women's College World Series.

Marjorie Ann Wright is a former college softball coach. She was the head softball coach at California State University, Fresno—more commonly known as Fresno State—from 1986 to 2012. She led the Fresno State Bulldogs to the NCAA national softball championship in 1998 and is the NCAA's second all-time winningest softball coach. She also ranks second all-time in career victories among NCAA Division I coaches in all sports. She was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000 and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. She retired at the end of the 2012 season.

The Arizona State Sun Devils softball team represents Arizona State University in NCAA Division I College softball. The team competes in the Pac-12 Conference, and plays its home games at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Clint Myers, former head coach of the Sun Devils, guided the team to the Women's College World Series in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The Sun Devils team won the National Championship in 2008 & 2011.

The Missouri Tigers softball team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I college softball. The team is coached by head coach Larissa Anderson, who was hired on May 26, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Illinois Huskies softball</span>

The Northern Illinois Huskies softball team is the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I college softball team that represents Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). NIU softball started playing in 1959 and has two NCAA Tournament appearances and one appearance in the Women's College World Series (1988). The Huskies are coached by Christina Sutcliffe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Seminoles softball</span> American college softball team

The Florida State Seminoles women's softball team represents Florida State University in the sport of softball. Florida State competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The 1982 AIAW Women's College World Series was held from May 20 through May 25 in Norman, Oklahoma. The final two games were postponed by rain for two days. Twelve Division I college softball teams met in what was to become the last AIAW softball tournament of that organization's history. After playing their way through the regular season and regional tournaments, the 12 advancing teams met for the AIAW Division I college softball championship. Days later, Oklahoma State went on to participate also in the NCAA WCWS tournament in Omaha. In 1982, the Division I softball tournaments of both the AIAW and the NCAA were called "Women's College World Series." That moniker has been used for the annual topmost-level collegiate women's softball tournaments since the first one in 1969. Historian Bill Plummer III wrote, "With their 77-8 season record, Texas A&M could have been a contender in Omaha − maybe even the top seed − against perennial softball powers like UCLA and Fresno State. The Aggies had been invited to the NCAA's first national tournament, but chose not to go. A&M coach Bob Brock had high respect for the eleven-year-old AIAW, even as the NCAA began to overshadow it. Out of a sense of loyalty to the AIAW, Brock said, his school chose the 1982 Norman championship over the NCAA's first in Omaha."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 SIU Edwardsville Cougars softball team</span>

The 2007 SIU Edwardsville Cougars softball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2007 NCAA Division II softball season. The Cougars, led by nineteenth year head coach Sandy Montgomery, played their home games at Cougar Field on the SIUE campus as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). They finished the season as the NCAA Division II National Champions. In July 2017, the team was elected to the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame.

The Missouri State Lady Bears basketball team represents Missouri State University in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The team has a storied history making 2 NCAA Final Fours, reaching 17 NCAA Tournaments, and claiming 13 conference regular season titles. The Lady Bears compete in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Gerald Dean Glasco Jr. is an American college softball coach who is currently head coach at Louisiana and the Women's Professional Fastpitch team Smash It Sports Vipers. Previously, Glasco had been a high school softball coach, an assistant at Georgia and Texas A&M, and National Pro Fastpitch head coach with the USSSA Pride and Scrap Yard Dawgs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 NCAA Division I softball season</span> College softball in the United States

The 2019 NCAA Division I Softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began February 7, 2019. The season will progress through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and will conclude with the 2019 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2019 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament will be held annually in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, will end in June 2019.

Linda Marie Wells is a former American softball coach. She previously served as the head coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers softball and Arizona State Sun Devils softball teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 NCAA Division I softball season</span> College softball in the United States

The 2022 NCAA Division I softball season, part of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 2022. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2022 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2022 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held annually in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, ended in June 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Southeastern Conference softball season</span> Sports season

The 2023 SEC softball season began play Thursday, February 9, and conference play began on Friday, March 10. Tennessee clinched the regular season conference championship on May 6. Tennessee also won the 2023 Southeastern Conference softball tournament which took place from May 9–13 at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Vanderbilt University is the only full member of the Southeastern Conference to not sponsor a softball program. Of the 13 teams in the SEC, 12 played in the NCAA tournament. Of the top 16 seeds hosting Regionals, five are from the SEC. Three of the five win their Regionals, being the only SEC teams to win Regionals. Two of the three win their Super Regionals and advance to the 2023 Women's College World Series (WCWS).

References

  1. ↑ Brummer, David (May 3, 1996). "Dedication big part of ISU's Fischer". The Pantagraph. p. B1.
  2. 1 2 Brummer 1996, p. B6
  3. 1 2 Denham, Ryan (April 26, 2016). "Alum coach Melinda Fischer adds to legacy with 900th ISU win". Illinois State University. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ Kindred, Randy (April 14, 2019). "1969 ISU softball team gets well-deserved day in the sun". The Pantagraph. pp. B1, B4.
  5. ↑ Reinhardt, Randy (June 24, 2022). "Fischer has seen, lived changes". The Pantagraph. p. B4.
  6. ↑ Stock, Eric (August 29, 2022). "ISU 'pioneer' Melinda Fischer exits after a half century and during a 'changing climate' in college sports". WGLT. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ "New look, old tradition for ISU women's cagers". The Pantagraph. November 4, 1979. p. B-7.
  8. 1 2 "Illinois State names Fischer softball coach". The Pantagraph. August 25, 1985. p. C2.
  9. ↑ "2010-11 Women's Basketball" (PDF). Eastern Illinois University Athletics. 2011. p. 54. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  10. ↑ "EIU Panthers Softball" (PDF). Eastern Illinois University Athletics. p. 27. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Add three to ISU women's athletic staff". The Pantagraph. August 18, 1979. p. A-13.
  12. ↑ "Illinois State 2022-23 Women's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Illinois State University Athletics. December 8, 2022. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ Schrock, Cliff (March 21, 1981). "ISU women continue quest for AIAW title". The Pantagraph. p. B2.
  14. ↑ "AIAW Tournament". The Des Moines Register. March 22, 1981. p. 8D.
  15. ↑ "Tourney site familiar to ISU women cagers". The Pantagraph. March 24, 1982. p. B2.
  16. ↑ "Cougar Cagers Take NIT 3rd". The Daily Herald. Provo, Utah. April 1, 1982. p. 6.
  17. ↑ Ambrogi, Mark (March 30, 1983). "Season ends; involvement won't". Herald and Review. p. 11.
  18. ↑ "Ice cold Illinois State falls to Kansas State". The Pantagraph. March 20, 1983. p. C2.
  19. ↑ "Colleges". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 20, 1983. p. 2-E.
  20. ↑ Van Thyn, Nico (March 14, 1985). "Lady Indians, Techsters have comforts of home". The Shreveport Journal. p. 2C.
  21. ↑ "Louisiana Tech struggles over Ill. State in women's play". The Muncie Evening Press. March 16, 1985. p. 9.
  22. ↑ "Illinois State coach named". Herald & Review. Decatur, Illinois. August 28, 1985. p. B2.
  23. ↑ Hazelrigg, Larry S. (May 15, 1988). "Ill. St. takes title; SMS finishes third". The Springfield News-Leader. p. E1.
  24. ↑ Goodwin, Diane (May 22, 1988). "NIU homer dashes ISU softball hopes". The Pantagraph. p. D3.
  25. ↑ "NIU sweeps Illinois St. in regional". Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune wires. May 22, 1988. sec. 3 p. 16.
  26. ↑ "This is The Valley". Missouri Valley Conference. May 16, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  27. ↑ "ISU softball earns Valley tourney title". The Pantagraph. May 14, 1995. p. F1.
  28. ↑ Shawgo, Ellen (May 15, 2000). "Redbirds on way to Arizona". The Pantagraph. p. B1.
  29. ↑ "Back to NCAA for ISU". The Pantagraph. May 13, 2001. p. F1.
  30. ↑ Spitler, Pete (May 13, 2012). "Redbirds rock Salukis". The Southern Illinoisan. p. 1C.
  31. ↑ "Bats go quiet as ISU softball season ends". The Pantagraph. May 23, 2017. p. B2.
  32. ↑ "Fischer Assumes Winningest Coach Title; `Birds Take Two From Drake". Illinois State University Athletics. April 14, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Fischer Wins 1,000th At MVC Championship". Missouri Valley Conference. May 7, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  34. ↑ "College Report: Illinois State softball coach Melinda Fischer nets 1,100th career victory". The Pantagraph. February 29, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Illinois State All-Time Wins Leader Melinda Fischer Announces Retirement". August 28, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  36. 1 2 "MVC Softball Records (As of 12/7/22)" (PDF). Missouri Valley Conference. December 8, 2022. p. 5. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Softball Coaching Records Entering 2023" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2023. pp. 2–3. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  38. 1 2 "NFCA Distinguished Service Award to be named after Illinois State's Melinda Fischer". National Fastpitch Coaches Association. October 8, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  39. ↑ Kindred, Randy (September 30, 2004). "Adams to lead AD search at ISU". The Pantagraph. p. F1.
  40. ↑ "NFCA DI All-American Committee". National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Drake's Ford player of year in Gateway". The Des Moines Register. March 5, 1985. p. 3S.
  42. ↑ "Day not total loss for ISU softball team". The Pantagraph. May 10, 1987. p. D6.
  43. ↑ "MVC Announces All-Time Softball Team". Missouri Valley Conference. May 11, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  44. ↑ "1969 Softball". Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Melinda Fischer". Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  46. ↑ Denham, Ryan (May 3, 2010). "Melinda Fischer Softball Field". Illinois State University. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  47. ↑ "CAST Hall of Fame". College of Applied Science and Technology. Illinois State University. 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Illinois State softball coach honored". The Pantagraph. December 10, 2002. p. B2.
  49. ↑ "NFCA Hall of Fame". National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.