Craig Nicholson Hired As Arizona State Softball Coach

The Arizona State Softball program has found its next head coach, as Steve Patterson has pegged Craig Nicholson to be the next head coach of the Sun Devils. Nicholson comes to Tempe from Ball State University, where he spent the past seven seasons as the head softball coach of the Cardinals.

Nicholson took over the Ball State program in 2007 and leaves with a record 204-145, he holds a career record of 927-235. He was the fastest coach to 100 and 200-win mark in school history, and took the Cardinals to the NCAA Tournament in 2012.

Under Nicholson, Ball State had 31 All-Mac honorees and won the conference three times. His teams are known for their offense, as in 2012 Ball State was the only team in the nation to be top 10 nationally in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored and home runs.

Like Clint Myers, Nicholson spent part of this coaching career at Central Arizona, where he amassed a record of 723-90, leading CAC to the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship four times.

Nicholson was also the associate head coach of the NPF's Chicago Bandits, helping the team to a championship in 2008.

Nicholson inherits a team that returns its two top pitchers from a team that has made seven of the past eight Women's College World Series. The team only lost one senior, second baseman Sam Parlich, from its everyday lineup and returns Pac-12 Player of the Year Amber Freeman.