The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2026
The University of Texas officially announced the addition of softball as a varsity sport in June 1993 and two years later in 1995, Connie Clark was named the program’s first-ever head coach. Clark laid the foundation of the Longhorn program from the ground up, starting as a club team for the 1996 season, then taking Texas to great heights in 22 varsity seasons from 1997-2018. She made fast work of building a winner on the Forty Acres, leading her team to the Women’s College World Series in just her second season at the helm in 1998 — still the fastest program to ever go from inaugural season to the elite eight of collegiate softball. She would go on to guide her squad back to the WCWS four more times in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2013 along with 19 NCAA Regional appearances and eight Big 12 Championships with four regular-season (2002, 2003, 2006, 2010) and four tournament titles (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005). Clark led Texas to an 837-401-3 mark while she and her staff earned the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2003, the NFCA Midwest Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in 2006 and she was tabbed Big 12 Coach of the Year three times (2002, 2006, 2010). In her illustrious Longhorn career, she developed 29 All-Americans, 74 NFCA All-Region selections, 105 All-Big 12 honorees and a pair of Olympic Gold Medalists. That group was topped off by one of the most decorated student-athletes in UT history, pitcher Cat Osterman — whose jersey number eight is retired and prominently displayed at Red & Charline McCombs Field. Osterman was a three-time USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year, four-time NFCA All-American, two-time Honda Sports Award winner for Softball and twice claimed the ESPY Award for Best Female College Athlete. She produced a staggering career record of 136-25 with a 0.51 ERA and 2,265 strikeouts in helping the Horns to three WCWS appearances. Clark’s prize pupil earned three Olympic medals with Team USA as well, gold in 2004 and silvers in 2008 and 2020. The program’s foundation was laid with Clark’s first pitching ace, as Longhorn Legend Christa Willaims paved the way for the WCWS run in 1998, twice earning All-American honors and claiming gold medals with Team USA in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. Before taking over the Texas program, Clark spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Florida State where she helped build the Seminoles into a national power with four WCWS appearances. A native of Glendale, Ariz. and a 1987 Cal State Fullerton graduate with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, Clark was a pitching ace and National Champion in her own right. In two seasons with the Titans (1986-87), she earned First-Team All-America honors and was the Broderick Award Winner as the National Softball Player of the Year in 1987, one season after leading her squad to the WCWS National Championship in 1986. During Fullerton’s national championship run, Clark posted a 20-2 record while leading the nation with a 0.18 ERA. Prior to her time with Cal State Fullerton, Clark was a two-time First-Team All-American at Central Arizona Junior College and led her squad to back-to-back NJCAA Championships in 1984-85. She is a member of the NFCA Hall of Fame (2023), Arizona Softball Foundation Hall of Fame (2005), NJCAA Hall of Fame (2006), Cal State Fullerton Athletics Hall of Fame (2009) and Central Arizona Junior College Hall of Fame (2010).