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News Release
UMBC TABS JOE FRENCH AS HEAD SOFTBALL COACH
7/23/2001
Joe French has been named Head Softball Coach at UMBC, it was announced today by Director of Athletics Dr. Charles Brown. French has been coaching at the collegiate level for the last two decades and was most recently the Head Softball Coach (1997) and Head Women's Basketball Coach (1996-97) at SUNY-Geneseo. In five years in softball, he compiled a record of 120-47, including an ECAC Division II Championship in2000. The winningest-coach in Geneseo's softball history, French was named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year in 1998, guiding the team to post-season play for the first time in 14 seasons. His 1999 team took the SUNYAC Western Division title for the first time in school history. The 1977 SUNY-Brockport graduate recorded 96 wins and 62 losses in softball at Mansfield (PA) University from 1987-91, giving him a career mark of 216-109, a .665 winning percentage on the diamond. He also has a career record of 205-162 in 14 seasons as a head women's basketball coach,including stints at Alfred State (NY) (1982-87), Mansfield (PA) (1987-91) and SUNY-Geneseo (1996-2001). French spent 1991-1996 as the top assistant women's basketball coach at Navy and he and his family reside in Annapolis. "It has always been my goal to coach at the Division I level," said French. "I couldn't be happier being the softball coach at UMBC and I am looking forward to getting started." The Geneva, New York native captained the baseball team at Brockport in both 1976 and 1977. He received an M.S. in Recreation from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1984. French inherits a squad that won the Northeast Conference in 2000 and earned a berth in the 2001 four-team NEC Tournament, finishing the campaign at 26-19. All but two players, seniors Vickie Buisset and Stephanie Happel, are expected to return for the 2002 season.