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Donna J. Papa, head softball coach at North Carolina since 1986, has been the veritable architect of a Carolina softball program that ranks among the country's best - and keeps getting better. In fact, Papa led the Tar Heels, NCAA Tournament participants in six of the last seven years, to a new school record for most consecutive wins as the team rolled off 28 straight during the 2007 season. Just a year removed from posting the most wins in a season (48), providing further testimony that UNC competes at the highest levels on the field while excelling academically at one of the nation's top universities. One of the 20 winningest coaches in NCAA history, Papa joined the 800-win club in 2007 as her team went 46-21. In her remarkable 25-year career, she has compiled a 839-488-4 record, including a 810-473-4 mark as head coach at Carolina. During her tenure at UNC, Papa has led the Tar Heels to 20 winning seasons, including the last 10 in a row. The team earned its first NCAA Tournament bid in 2001 and has made returns to the field the past four years running. Carolina claimed the 2001 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and has played in the title game on two other occasions. Papa has been named ACC Coach of the Year three times - in 1996, 1998 and 2000. Since coming to Chapel Hill in 1985, Papa has coached players to All-America seasons on eight occasions and All-Southeast Region performances on 46. Theresa Buscemi was the first Tar Heel to earn All-America honors when she was named to the third team in 1992. Christine Kubin earned first-team honors in 1996, and Brandy Arthur followed in 1998. Kelly Ramsey was named to the third team in 2000, Tiffany Tolleson was named a third team member in 2002 and 2003, and Jaclyn Holden became the first Tar Heel freshman to earn the honor when she was named to the third team in 2003. In 2006, Crystal Cox was selected to the third team. UNC players who have earned first-team All-Southeast Region honors under Papa's coaching are Natalie Anter (1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002), Brandy Arthur (1995, `98), Sonya Bright (1993), Theresa Buscemi (1992), Crystal Henderson (1999), Jaclyn Holden (2003), Jen Klesaris (2000), Christine Kubin (1996), Tracey Narwid (1989, `90), Maria Powers (1986), Emily Price (2004), Kelly Ramsey (2000), Michelle Semmes (2000), Lorin Slade (1996), Beverly Smith (1994), Tiffany Tolleson (2002 and 2003) and Crystal Cox (2006). "My goal for student-athletes in this program is that they become the best players they can be and they have a quality experience on the field," Papa says. "But we also want to be helping them off the field in terms of the things that they'll take with them for the rest of their lives - the discipline, the respect for others, time management. We want them to go away feeling like they weren't just a player in our program, they were part of a family. We have a softball family that goes on after they graduate." In addition to success on the field, Papa's program is known for excellence in the classroom. Christine Kubin earned Academic All-America honors in in 1995 and '96, and nine other Tar Heels have been named to the Academic All-America All-District team. Players who have earned that honor are Jenny Reed (1989), Julie O'Shields (1992), Lynnae Flynn (1993), Kubin (1994), Colleen Lefferts (1999), Beth Olen (2000), Sarah Young (2001, '02), Anna Tharrington (2003), Jessica Graziano (2004) and Anna Evans (2006, `07). Tar Heel softball players regularly earn spots on the ACC Academic Honor Roll, with eight making the list for the 2006-07 school year. During her time at North Carolina, Papa has been a driving force behind the construction of the new UNC Softball Complex, including the recently dedicated Anderson Stadium, where the Tar Heels began play in 2002. It features many player-friendly innovations and, with the completion of the grandstands and the team building, is among the finest college facilities in the country. "It's really been a great thing to see happen," Papa says. "It's something I've been looking at on paper for years, but to have it happen is a dream come true. You want to leave something behind and this facility is something I can leave as my mark. It's an exciting thing for our program." Prior to arriving in Chapel Hill, Papa spent two seasons as head volleyball and softball coach at Susquehanna University. Her 1985 softball squad compiled a 16-8 record, won its conference division and qualified for the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship. Papa's duties at Susquehanna also included working as the women's intramural coordinator, a physical education instructor and the school's primary recruiter for women's athletics. She served as an assistant softball coach at St. John's University from 1981-83 after spending one year as an assistant coach at UNC-Greensboro while she worked toward a master's degree in physical education. Papa earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of Connecticut in 1979. She played four seasons of softball for the Huskies and was co-captain her junior and senior seasons. Papa's playing career also encompassed stints with ASA Major Fast Pitch teams including the Franklin Coronets (West Haven, Conn.) and the Waterford (Conn.) Mariners. As a Mariners outfielder, she helped the team to a 12th-place finish in the 1982 ASA national tournament. A respected clinician, Papa conducts Carolina softball camps and clinics throughout the year. She has been a member of the Louisville Slugger Advisory Board since 1994 and was a member of the Women's Pro Softball League Advisory Board. She has served on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Committee and the NCAA All-Region Committee and began a two-year term representing the ACC on the NFCA Top-25 Selection Committee in 2006 and 2007. Born March 16, 1956, in Waterbury, Conn., she was a recent recipient of the Olympian Award, presented by the Olympian Club of Waterbury, Conn., in recognition of outstanding achievement in athletics. |
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