Karen Mullins

Karen Mullins
Sport(s) College softball
Playing career
Basketball
1975–1979 Connecticut
Softball
1978–1979 Connecticut
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1980–1981 Nichols
1984–2014 Connecticut
Head coaching record
Overall 872–636–5
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
NFCA Northeast Coach of the Year: 1989, 1990, 1993
Big East Conference Coach of the Year: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997

Karen Mullins is an American college softball coach, most recently the long-time head coach of the Connecticut Huskies softball team. She served in that role from 1984 to 2014. She announced her retirement on May 19, 2014.[1][2]

Playing career

Mullins played four years of basketball at Connecticut and also two years of softball. Connecticut was just beginning to establish women's sports during her time as a student in Storrs. [1]

Coaching career

After completing a master's in sport management at UConn, Mullins became head coach at Nichols College in Massachusetts. She led the team for two seasons, compiling a 10–10 record before moving to E. O. Smith High School as a basketball coach. In 1984, she returned to UConn as head softball coach.[3] Mullins would remain at UConn for thirty one seasons, leading the Huskies to 10 top 2 finishes in the NCAA Northeast rankings, eight appearances in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship, a Women's College World Series berth in 1993, six Big East Conference regular season and seven Big East Conference Softball Tournament championships, and an overall record of 862–626–5. Over 96 percent of her players graduated, nine earned All-American honors, six were named academic All-Americans, and her players earned Big East Player or Pitcher of the Year awards 11 times.[1] She retired as one of the top 50 all-time coaches in career wins.[4] Mullins was one of the longest-tenured coaches at UConn, although many coaches also had remained in Storrs for multiple decades.[5][6]

Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Nichols (NCAA Division III) (1980–1981)
1980 Nichols 5–4
1981 Nichols 5–6
Nichols: 10–10
Connecticut () (1984–2014)
Connecticut: 862–626–5
Total: 872–636–5

      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

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Karen Mullins". UConn Huskies. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  2. "Softball Coach Karen Mullins To Retire". UConn Huskies. May 19, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  3. "Karen Mullins sees role as UConn softball coach as 'great opportunity'". The Day. New London, Connecticut. January 31, 1984. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  4. Ned Griffen (May 20, 2014). "Waterford's Mullins retires after 31 seasons as UConn softball coach". The Day. New London, Connecticut. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  5. Paul Doyle (March 26, 2010). "UConn Softball Coach Has Seen Basketball's Rise Under Geno". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  6. David Borges (June 16, 2012). Middletown Press. Middletown, Connecticut http://www.middletownpress.com/general-news/20120616/uconn-coaches-have-stuck-around-for-a-long-time-with-the-huskies-2. Retrieved October 8, 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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