Yvette Girouard

Last updated
Yvette Girouard
Biographical details
Born1954 (age 69–70)
Broussard, Louisiana
Playing career
Volleyball
1972–1975 Southwestern Louisiana
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Softball
1977–1979 Lafayette HS
1980 Comeaux HS
1981–2000 Southwestern Louisiana/Louisiana–Lafayette
2001–2011 LSU
Head coaching record
Overall1,285–421–1 (.753)
Tournaments51–43 (NCAA)
0–2 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
  • 2× NFCA Coach of the Year (1990, 1993)
  • NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year (2001)
  • NFCA Hall of Fame (2005)
  • 3× Southland Coach of the Year (1984, 1985, 1987)
  • Sun Belt Coach of the Year (2000)
  • 3× SEC Coach of the Year (2001, 2002, 2006)

Yvette Marie Girouard (born 1954) is an American retired softball coach who was head coach at Southwestern Louisiana (later Louisiana) from 1981 to 2000 and LSU from 2001 to 2011.

Contents

On March 15, 2019, at the Louisiana softball game vs. the Troy Trojans, Lamson Park was rededicated to Yvette Girouard. The park is now known as “Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.”

Early life and education

Born in Broussard, Louisiana, Girouard grew up in nearby Lafayette and graduated from Ovey Comeaux High School in 1972. [1] She attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). A member of the volleyball team from 1972 to 1975, Girouard graduated in 1976 with a B.S. in health and physical education. [2] [3]

Coaching career

Girouard began the softball program at Lafayette High School in 1977. After three seasons at Lafayette High, Girouard was head coach at her alma mater Comeaux High in 1980 before starting the softball program at Southwestern Louisiana in 1981. [3]

As head coach at Southwestern Louisiana Girouard had an overall 759–250 record from 1981 to 2000. [4] [3] Her teams advanced to 10 NCAA Tournaments, including three Women's College World Series, finishing third in 1993 and fifth in 1995 and 1996. [3]

Girouard left the Ragin Cajuns in 2001 to take the reins of the LSU program. She finished her career at LSU with a 526-171-1 record. She led LSU to two Women's College World Series (third-place finishes in 2001 and 2004), three SEC championships (2001, 2002, and 2004), four SEC tournament championships (2001, 2002, 2004, and 2007), and two SEC tournament runner-up finishes (2003 and 2006). Her LSU teams played in seven NCAA tournaments.

Girouard is one of only three coaches to take two teams to the Women's College World Series. She was the National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1993; the Southland Conference Coach of the Year in 1984, 1985, and 1987; the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in 2000; and the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2001, 2002, and 2006. She is also a 13-time winner of Louisiana Coach of the Year. Between her stints at Louisiana-Lafayette and LSU, her career record is 1,285-421-1.

Girouard was succeeded by former Louisiana head coach Michael Lotief and current LSU head coach Beth Torina.

Girouard was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in December 2005 and the Louisiana Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in June 2002.

Head coaching record

Source for Southwestern Louisiana/Louisiana–Lafayette: [5]

Source for LSU: [6]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Southwestern Louisiana Lady Cajuns (Louisiana AIAW)(1981–1982)
1981Southwestern Louisiana 7–15
1982Southwestern Louisiana 15–13LAIAW Champions
Southwestern Louisiana Lady Cajuns (Southland Conference)(1983–1987)
1983 Southwestern Louisiana 22–136–21st (South)
1984 Southwestern Louisiana 28–96–21st (South)
1985 Southwestern Louisiana 39–1312–01st
1986 Southwestern Louisiana 30–1910–2T–1st
1987 Southwestern Louisiana 31–1810–21stNIT
Southwestern Louisiana Lady Cajuns (NCAA Division I independent)(1988–1999)
1988 Southwestern Louisiana 29–16
1989 Southwestern Louisiana 48–16
1990 Southwestern Louisiana 44–8 NCAA Regional
1991 Southwestern Louisiana 33–10 NCAA Regional
1992 Southwestern Louisiana 41–12 NCAA Regional
1993 Southwestern Louisiana 57–7 Women's College World Series
1994 Southwestern Louisiana 57–5 NCAA Regional
1995 Southwestern Louisiana 49–9 Women's College World Series
1996 Southwestern Louisiana 46–10 Women's College World Series
1997 Southwestern Louisiana 46–18 NCAA Regional
1998 Southwestern Louisiana 36–15
1999 Southwestern Louisiana 54–11 NCAA Regional
Louisiana–Lafayette Lady Cajuns (Sun Belt Conference)(2000)
2000 Louisiana–Lafayette 45–15 NCAA Regional
Southwestern Louisiana /
Louisiana–Lafayette:		759–250 (.752)44–8 (.846)
LSU Tigers (Southeastern Conference)(2001–2011)
2001 LSU 59–1126–41st (West) Women's College World Series
2002 LSU 56–1125–41st (West) NCAA Regional
2003 LSU 50–1820–92nd (West) NCAA Regional
2004 LSU 57–1222–61st (West) Women's College World Series
2005 LSU 31–2312–18T–3rd (West)
2006 LSU 55–1422–82nd (West) NCAA Super Regional
2007 LSU 55–1222–61st (West) NCAA Super Regional
2008 LSU 44–1817–112nd (West) NCAA Regional
2009 LSU 34–18–115–10–12nd (West) NCAA Regional
2010 LSU 45–1620–82nd (West) NCAA Regional
2011 LSU 40–1819–92nd (West) NCAA Regional
LSU:526–171–1 (.754)220–93–1 (.702)
Total:1,285–421–1 (.753)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns</span> University of Louisiana athletic teams

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are the athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The college has been competing athletically since 1901. The Ragin' Cajuns compete in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Simmons (tennis)</span> American tennis coach (1946–2023)

Jerry Simmons was an American tennis coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LSU Tigers softball</span>

The LSU Tigers softball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and plays home games in Tiger Park. The team is currently coached by Beth Torina.

Robert Lee Marlin is an American college basketball coach who is the current head men's basketball coach for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball team. Previously, he was the head coach at Sam Houston State from 1998 to 2010.

Patrick Stacy Murphy is an American softball coach and the current head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on May 7, 2022—the first softball coach to be so honored.

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns are currently led by soon-to-be seventh-year head coach Gerry Glasco after former head coach Michael Lotief was fired on November 1, 2017. Yvette Girouard was head coach from 1981 to 2000 leading the Ragin' Cajuns to 10 NCAA tournaments and three Women's College World Series appearances. The team plays its home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park located on the university's athletic campus.

The 2017–18 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ragin' Cajuns were led by eighth-year head coach Bob Marlin and played their home games at the Cajundome as members in the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 27–7, 16–2 in Sun Belt play to win the Sun Belt regular season championship. The conference championship was the school's first since first regular-season title since sharing the 2000 title and its first outright title since joining the conference in 1991. They defeated Texas State in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt tournament before losing in the semifinals to Texas–Arlington. As a regular season conference champion who failed to win their conference tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to LSU.

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.

The 2019 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2019 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park and were led by second-year head coach Gerry Glasco.

The 2018 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2018 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns play their home games at Lamson Park and were led by first year head coach Gerry Glasco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Belt Conference softball tournament</span>

The Sun Belt Conference softball tournament is the conference championship tournament in softball for the Sun Belt Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I softball tournament. The 2023 host of the tournament is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park, the largest softball facility in the conference.

The 2017 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2017 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns play their home games at Lamson Park. This would also be the last season that a Lotief would be the head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns. This came after the university fired Lotief, both Malveauxs, Director of Operations Kelsey Vincent, and one manager, Sara Corbello on November 1, 2017 due to allegations of physically and verbal abuse to his players and for laying a finger on the university's strength coach. The Ragin' Cajuns softball players strongly disagreed with his firing. Several even transferred schools with most making a pack that "if they couldn't play with Lotief, they wouldn't play at all." However, most of the team remained and competed in 2018. Nearly a year later, Lotief filed a lawsuit against the university claiming that they fired him over retaliation from Lotief claiming that the university violated NCAA Title IX laws which state that women's sports must be treated the same as their male counterpart. In the lawsuit, Lotief called University President Joseph E. Savoie, Athletic Director Bryan Maggard, and Assistant Athletic Director Dr. Jessica Leger as the defendants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team</span>

The 2010 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2010 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Lamson Park and were led by tenth and eleventh year husband and wife head coaching duo Michael and Stefni Lotief, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team</span>

The 2009 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2009 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Lamson Park and were led by ninth and tenth year husband and wife head coaching duo Michael and Stefni Lotief, respectively.

The 2020 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2020 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. The Cajuns were led by third year head coach Gerry Glasco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team</span>

The 2008 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2008 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Lamson Park and were led by eighth and ninth year husband and wife head coaching duo Michael and Stefni Lotief, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park</span> Softball park in Lafayette, Louisiana, US

Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park is a ballpark located on the South Campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette, Louisiana. Originally built in 1985, Lamson Park is the home of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Ragin' Cajuns softball program. When Lady Cajun's Park was built, the Softball program had no budget, no money, and no stable foundation. Now, Cajuns softball is known as a national powerhouse, year after year, and Lamson Park continues to grow.

The 2021 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2021 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park and were led by fourth-year head coach Gerry Glasco. They were members of the Sun Belt Conference.

The 2022 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2022 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park and were led by fifth-year head coach Gerry Glasco. They were members of the Sun Belt Conference.

The 2023 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2023 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park and were led by sixth-year head coach Gerry Glasco. They were members of the Sun Belt Conference.

References

  1. ↑ "Yvette Girouard". RaginCajuns.com. University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Archived from the original on March 17, 2002. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  2. ↑ "All-time letterwinners" (PDF), 2018 Louisiana Volleyball History and Records Book, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, p. 7, archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-09-06, retrieved 2018-05-20
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Yvette Girouard". LSU. Archived from the original on July 6, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  4. ↑ "NCAA Statistics: Yvette Girouard" . Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  5. ↑ 2018 Louisiana Softball History and Records Book (PDF). University of Louisiana at Lafayette. 2018. pp. 24, 29.
  6. ↑ 2018 LSU Softball Media Guide (PDF). Louisiana State University. 2018. p. 77.
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.