July 17, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio Director of Athletics Jim Schaus announced Thursday afternoon that Jodi Hermanek has been hired as the Bobcats' head softball coach.

Hermanek built quite a resume in her four seasons as head coach of Southern Utah University's softball program. In the four years, she has claimed two regular-season Mid-Continent Conference championships as well as a pair of conference tournament titles. With those two tournament titles, her teams earned SUU's first-ever bids to the NCAA Softball Tournament. Under Hermanek's watch the team also rewrote virtually the entire Thunderbird record book, particularly the hitting sections, where every major record was set in the past four years.

"I am honored to join the Bobcat family, even more I am privileged to introduce my leadership and experience to a program that is on the rise of success," said Hermanek. "I thank Ohio University and the Athletic Directorship, Jim Schaus and Amy Dean, for their welcoming and for this opportunity."

In 2008, Hermanek's Thunderbirds were powered by two first-team All-Summit League members in centerfielder Rodeo Carli and designated player Karli Jenson. Hermanek's troops also faced three Top 25 teams (#1 Arizona State, #10 Arizona and #21 Washington) and squared off against a handful of teams who were either in the Top 25 or receiving votes during the course of the season (BYU, Nebraska, Utah, UNLV, Loyola Marymount, Oregon and Western Kentucky). In all, the slate represented the toughest schedule in program history.

In 2007, Hermanek, a 2000 graduate of Colorado State University-Pueblo (then University of Southern Colorado), guided the team to its second-straight NCAA tournament appearance. The 2007 squad played to a 14-23 non-conference mark after facing a brutal early season schedule, but went on to finish 12-6 and in second place in regular-season Mid-Con play. The team turned it up during the postseason, however, sweeping through the Mid-Con tourney in the minimum of three games, then picking up the school's only NCAA tournament win in any sport when it downed Cal Poly 9-4 in the NCAA Regional. Her 2007 Thunderbirds set team records for hits, home runs, slugging, walks and players hit by pitches and finished second in the school's record books in runs scored, runs batted in and total bases, with top-10 finishes in doubles, walks and on-base percentage. Under Hermanek's guidance, senior catcher/shortstop Marci Pratt earned her second straight Mid-Con MVP honor and five more T-Birds earned all-conference recognition.

Hermanek also had a triumphant second season at Southern Utah, leading her team to its fourth straight Mid-Continent Conference regular-season championship, tournament championship, and for the first time in school history, to the NCAA Regional. With a 34-32 overall record and a 21-3 mark in Mid-Con play the `Birds broke school records in home runs, RBI, runs scored, hits, at bats, total bases, walks and innings pitched. The `Birds also recorded numbers in the top three for triples, doubles, stolen bases, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, strikeouts, assists and fielding percentage. Under Hermanek, Pratt earned her first Mid-Con MVP award, while four other Thunderbirds earned all-conference honors.

In Hermanek's first season at Southern Utah, she led the squad to its third straight Mid-Continent Conference regular-season championship, a 23-25-1 overall record and an 18-6 mark in Mid-Con play. Along the way the 2005 Thunderbirds belted a then-school-record 49 home runs and ranked among the nation's leaders in homers (11th), double plays (fifth with 0.49 per game), slugging percentage (18th at .469) and doubles (22nd with an average of 1.41 per game). Hermanek also helped make history by coaching shortstop Tiffany Burt to Mid-Con Player and Newcomer of the Year honors in the same season, the first time an individual has swept the awards.

"I'm ecstatic about the hiring of Jodi Hermanek as our head softball coach," said Schaus. "She has an excellent track record as a Division I head coach and was the architect to building a program that won conference championships and competed in the NCAA Tournament. She is tremendously energetic and passionate about building a softball program and cares for the student-athlete and people. I am excited about the future of Bobcat softball under her tutelage."

Hermanek spent the previous two seasons as head softball coach at Denton High School in Denton, Texas. Prior to her time at DHS, she served three seasons as an assistant at CSU-Pueblo. She has also worked at softball camps nationwide since her graduation in 2000, including four years at Texas Woman's University's camps and two years each at University of Oklahoma's and CSU-Pueblo's camps.

In her two seasons at DHS, Hermanek led the Broncos to back-to-back winning seasons, including a 14-8 record and a fourth-place finish in the district standings in 2004.

As an assistant at CSU-Pueblo, Hermanek helped coach the squad to its best-ever season in 2001. That year, the Thunderwolves finished 52-14, were ranked seventh in NCAA Division II and claimed Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and region championships. In 2000, she helped guide the team to a third-place finish in the RMAC.

"I think Coach Hermanek is a fine coach," Brigham Young head coach Gordon Eakin said. "During her years at Southern Utah, we competed numerous times, and each season she competed at a higher level and developed her team into a national contender. She is a tremendous coach to work with, and she works hard. Ohio has made an excellent selection."

Prior to joining the CSU-Pueblo staff, Hermanek was a four-year letterwinner for the Thunderwolves, serving as a team captain her junior and senior seasons.

An active member of the NFCA since 2000, Hermanek has recently received her master's degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in coaching softball from Texas Woman's University.