Legendary UCLA softball coach Sue Enquist will retire as head
coach, effective Jan. 1, 2007, UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero
announced Tuesday. Although Enquist will be stepping down as head
coach, she will stay at UCLA in the role of director of major gifts
for the UCLA Athletics External Relations Office.
“For over 31 years, I have loved UCLA as a player and a
coach,” said Enquist. “I am thrilled to continue my
relationship with UCLA Athletics Development. I am fortunate to
step down as the head coach of UCLA softball with my passion and
excitement for the game intact. I will continue to be a spokesman
for our great sport.”
Enquist passes the torch to 13-year assistant coach Kelly
Inouye-Perez, who will be only the third head coach in the
program’s 32-year history after Enquist and Sharron Backus
before her. Backing up Inouye-Perez will be Olympian and former
Bruin Lisa Fernandez. Fernandez will serve as a volunteer assistant
coach through fall practice before becoming a full-time assistant
on Jan. 1.
Enquist played a part in all of the Bruins’ 11 national
championships, either as a player or coach, and had maintained
UCLA’s status as one of the elite teams in all of college
softball.
Graduating from UCLA in 1980, Enquist played softball for the
Bruins and earned the program’s first All-American honors.
She was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1978
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Championships
and was the first softball player to make it into the UCLA
Athletics Hall of fame,
Enquist made an even bigger impact as a coach, serving as part
of the staff since the 1980 season. As a co-head coach with Backus
from 1989 to 1996 and the lone head coach for the last 10 years,
Enquist coached the Bruins to a total of six NCAA
Championships.