On Monday, USA Softball announced that Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso has been selected as the head coach for the Women’s National Team.
Gasso was selected by members of the USA Softball Review Panel and will lead the United States through the 2025-28 quadrennial cycle, which includes the 2028 Olympic Games, set in the very city she was born, Los Angeles, California.
Gasso is just the seventh female head coach in USA Softball National Team history, joining Rosalie Sorenson (1970), Marge Ricker (1982), Carol Spanks (1987), Shirley Topley (1991), Margie Wright (1998), and Heather Tarr (2021).
“USA Softball is proud to announce that Coach Gasso will lead our Women’s National Team for the 2025-2028 quad,” said Craig Cress, Chief Executive Officer of USA Softball. “Throughout her career, Coach Gasso has made a significant impact on the softball community and has greatly contributed to the development of the sport. We are confident that her skills, knowledge, and experience will enhance our program and we look forward to supporting Coach Gasso and the Women’s National Team as they strive to represent the U.S. with pride on the highest stage in the coming years.”
This won’t be the first time Gasso has been involved with the USA Softball Women’s National Team, though, as she’s been involved with the program since 2018. During that time,she led the U.S. Women’s Elite Team during the World Cup of Softball, as well as participated in various USA Softball training camps and selection trials.
“It is truly a remarkable moment in my career and a dream come true to be asked to coach Team USA,” said Gasso. “This is the highest honor I could ever receive, and I’m humbled by and thankful for the confidence USA Softball has in me. I have an intense passion to make Team USA the best it can be to help win the gold medal in 2028.”
An esteemed NFCA Hall of Fame head coach, Gasso is entering her 31st season at the helm of Oklahoma Softball. She recently concluded a remarkable run at the 2024 Women’s College World Series (WCWS), where the Sooners achieved their fourth consecutive National Championship, a historic milestone that distinguishes them as the only softball program in history to accomplish this feat. In her impressive 30-year tenure, Coach Gasso has secured eight NCAA Division I National Championships and has led her teams to 17 appearances in the WCWS. She has consistently guided her teams to postseason play each season, boasting an outstanding career record of 1,676 wins, 411 losses, and 3 ties. Following the 2024 NCAA conference realignment, Coach Gasso completed her successful tenure in the Big 12 as the league’s all-time winningest coach (men and women’s), having claimed 15 regular season conference titles and nine postseason league crowns.
