PEORIA, Ill. ? Former Bradley assistant coach and Decatur, Ill., native Amy Hayes has returned home to take over the head coaching duties of the Bradley Softball team, announced by Bradley Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh Saturday. A 1992 graduate of Evansville, Hayes was the head coach at Portland State for the last three season and boasts seven years of head coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level.
The 10th coach in program history, Hayes led Portland State to a 92-81 (.532) record in her three seasons, including the Vikings first-ever regular-season conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in her first season in 2006. She was head coach at Boston University (2001-04) for four seasons and led the Terriers to three America East Conference regular-season titles, two conference tournament titles and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003. All told, she owns a 213-176 (.548) record in seven seasons as a head coach and her teams have finished in the top three in the conference race six times. Her players have gone on to capture 20 first-team all-conference honors, nine all-region selections and three conference players of the year.
"We are very excited to have Amy joining our staff," Kavanagh said. "She has enjoyed a great deal of success over the past decade and we are looking forward to her returning to The Hilltop. We anticipate her continuing her trend of fielding teams that are capable of contending for conference titles on an annual basis."
"I am excited to be back on the Hilltop, especially at a time of such growth and renaissance," Hayes said. "I am overwhelmed by the commitment of President Glasser and the University to ensure that Bradley's impact is felt at a national level. I would like to thank Ken Kavanagh and Senior Woman Administrator Virnette House-Browning for giving me the opportunity to take this team to the next level. My goal is to see to it that these young women represent themselves in a positive light both on and off the field while bringing home Bradley's first Valley Championship and a regional berth."
Hayes earned Pacific Coast Softball Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2006 and led the Vikings to a 38-20 record and first-ever conference title. Portland State, which was 17-28 the year prior to her arrival and had never posted a winning record since moving to the Division I level in 1999, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and had three players earn first team all-conference honors in her first year. In addition, pitcher Mandy Hill was named conference Pitcher of the Year and also earned second-team NFCA All-West Region honors.
The next year, Portland State finished fourth in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference regular-season race and catcher Brandi Scoggins earned PCSC co-Freshman of the Year honors in addition to second-team NFCA All-Pacific honors.
This spring, Hayes' Vikings finished 31-27 overall and tied for second in the PCSC regular-season race in addition to posting wins against PAC 10 conference foes Washington, Oregon State and Oregon. Portland State boasted the conference Freshman of the Year for the second consecutive year and had two first-team all-conference selections. Hayes was the coach for the Portland All-Stars which faced the USA Olympic team earlier this month.
Hayes was an assistant coach at Oregon during the 2004-05 school year and helped the Ducks to an NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2005 season.
Prior to her one-year stop in Eugene, Ore., she was head coach at Boston University (2001-04). She led the Terriers to three consecutive America East Titles (2001, 02 & 03) and back-to-back conference tournament titles (2002 & 03). During that time she guided Boston to a 121-95 (.560) record, including an impressive 68-18 (.791) mark in America East regular-season play.
During her tenure in Boston, the Terriers swept the conference Player, Pitcher and Rookie of the Year awards in 2002, marking the first time in the history of the America East Conference that one team claimed all three honors in the same season. Boston claimed 15 first-team America East All-Conference picks, seven NFCA All-Northeast Region selections, two conference Players of the Year, two conference Pitchers of the Year, two conference Rookies of the Year and 12 America East All-Tournament picks. During the summer of 2003, Hayes was the pitching coach for the Spanish National Team, helping the squad prepare for the 2003 World Cup Tournament in Italy.
Hayes took over the head coaching reigns at Boston after a three-year run as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech. She helped the Hokies to an impressive 127-69 (.648) record, which including a 95-38 (.714) mark during her time in Blacksburg, Va.
In her only season on The Hilltop, Hayes helped the Braves to a 25-37 record during the 1997 campaign.
She graduated from Evansville in 1992 with a degree in sociology with a specialization in anthropology and earned first team Midwestern Collegiate Conference Coaching honors as a senior. She served as a graduate assistant coach to current Evansville coach Gwen Lewis during the 1993 season and was the head coach at Maroa-Forsyth High School in Maroa, Ill., during the 1993-94 school year.
Hayes played overseas in New Zealand after graduating from Evansville and competed for 10 years at the Women's Major Level from 1996-2006.
The Amy Hayes File
Education
Evansville University ?92
B.S. -- Sociology with a Specialization in Anthropology
Head Coaching Experience
Portland State (2006-08)
? 92-81 (.532) record
? 2006 Pacific Coast Softball Conference champs
? 2006 PCSC Coach of the Year
? 2006 NCAA Tournament
? Two NFCA All-Region selections
? Five first-team PCSC selections
? One PCSC Pitcher of the Year
? Two PCSC Freshman of the Year
Boston University (2001-04)
? 121-95 (.560) record
? 68-18 (.719) record in America East Conference play
? Three regular-season AEC championships
? Two AEC tournament titles
? Two NCAA Tournament appearances
? 15 first-team AEC selections
? Seven NFCA All-Region selections
? Two AEC Players of the Year
? Two AEC Pitchers of the Year
? Two AEC Freshman of the Year
Other Coaching Experience
Oregon (2005)
Assistant Coach - 36-25 record & NCAA Tournament appearance
Virginia Tech (1998-2000)
Assistant Coach - 127-69 record including 95-38 mark during the 1999 & 2000 seasons.
Bradley (1997)
Assistant Coach - 25-37 record
Maroa High School (1993-94)
Head Coach
Evansville (1993)
Assistant Coach
