Weatherford College Athletic Director Dr. Steven Garippa has announced the hiring of Dottie Cupp as WC’s first softball coach.

“While the applicant pool was very strong, I feel that Coach Cupp will bring a focused intensity and compassion to building our new softball program,” Garippa said.  “She has experience as a recruiting coordinator, softball skills camp director, pitching coach, and still holds several impressive records from her playing days at the University of Central Florida.”

Cupp spent the last two years as an assistant softball coach at Towson University in the Baltimore area. The Milton, Florida native was head softball coach at Polk Community College in Winter Haven, Florida for three years prior to her stint at Towson.  Under Cupp, PCC advanced to the Region 8 Tournament in 2008.  She also served as an assistant coach at the University of North Florida.

Cupp played two years at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, where she was Co-Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore and a two-time first team Louisville Slugger All-American. She moved on to Central Florida, where owns the school record for career shutouts (20).  She earned All-Conference honors in all four years of college softball, along with All-Region honors as a freshman, sophomore and junior.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity at Weatherford College,” Cupp said.  “I’m especially excited to start a new program.  I was one of the first seniors at Central Florida, so I’ve been in the situation as a player and now I’ll have the opportunity to do it as a coach. Texas has a lot of softball talent, so I’m ready get started recruiting and building the program.”

Cupp will also teach in WC’s Kinesiology Department.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from UCF and a master’s degree in Kinesiology from Texas Woman’s University.

The WC Board of Trustees voted to add softball to the college’s athletic program in June.  Cupp will spend the 2010-11 academic year teaching and recruiting, with the first group of players on campus in the fall of 2011.  After a semester of fall scrimmages, the Lady Coyote softball team will play their first official games in the spring of 2012.