Stacy May-Johnson was named the new Fresno State softball head coach last week and was officially introduced at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, making her dream of being a Bulldog a reality.
May-Johnson said she dreamed of being at Fresno State and never knew if she’d be able to make it happen.
“I grew up in Reno so I know Fresno State softball. You can’t grow up in Reno without knowing Fresno State softball,†May-Johnson said. “It’s been a lot of years of hardwork and effort that have gone into this. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be here.â€Â
May-Johnson said one of the biggest draws for her to come to Fresno State was the brand behind Bulldog softball, including the facilities, the support, the staff and the 1998 national championship victory.
“I see the potential to first win the Mountain West, second to make it to that regional, third to make it through that regional and once you start doing that you can make it to the world series,†May-Johnson said. “I would not be standing here today if I did not believe in that.â€Â
Prior to arriving at Fresno State, May-Johnson had positions as an assistant coach at programs like Iowa, Louisville and Western Kentucky. Most recently, she was the head coach at Utah Valley University.
She also spent time playing professionally for the Chicago Bandits and was called to play for Team USA where she won a gold medal at the Pan American games.
“I feel very confident that we found the right person to continue that level of excellence here at Fresno State,†athletic director Terry Tumey said. “Stacy May-Johnson is an amazing coach but more importantly an amazing human being. Everywhere she’s been, she’s been a winner.â€Â
With standout pitcher Hailey Dolcini present at the news conference, May-Johnson made it clear that, while she is a new coach, she doesn’t intend on making new changes to the program’s tradition but does want to add more pitching depth to help the team out.
“This pitching staff will be a staff. They will learn to work together — to pitch together. We will add depth in the bullpen as quickly as we can, and we will look to those pitchers to work together as a staff to complement each other again,†May-Johnson said. “We are going to do things the right way, and we believe that doing things the right way creates a product on the field that’s successful. That’s been the way that I’ve done things my life and I’m excited to bring that here.â€Â