The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball’s Jennifer McFalls named head coach of NPF’s Dallas Charge
01.20.2015 | Softball
National Pro Fastpitch expansion team will begin play on June 3, 2015, versus the Pennsylvania Rebellion
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas assistant softball coach Jennifer McFalls has been named the first head coach of National Pro Fastpitch's new expansion franchise, the Dallas Charge.
Currently in her fifth year on the staff of Longhorns head coach Connie Clark, McFalls, a former USA Softball standout and member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women's National Team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney Australia, brings a wealth of experience to her new position leading the Charge. During her time on the Forty Acres, the Grand Prairie, Texas, native has helped tutor eight National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans, 21 NFCA All-Region selections and 24 All-Big 12 Conference choices. Heading up the defensive effort at UT, her charges turned a staggering 21 double plays during the most recently-completed 2014 campaign (second-most in school history), while three players were tabbed to the Big 12 Conference All-Defensive Team.
The Dallas Charge, NPF's fifth affiliate team, will be based out of the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area and will start play this summer on June 3, 2015. The Charge joins the existing affiliate teams of the NPF, the Akron Racers, the Chicago Bandits, the Pennsylvania Rebellion and the defending Cowles Cup champions, the USSSA Florida Pride. The Charge is the first NPF franchise based out of the "Lone Star State" since the Texas Thunder left for Rockford, Ill., prior to the 2007 season.
"I am thankful to have the support from the University of Texas and coach Connie Clark to coach in the NPF this summer," McFalls said. "Everyone is excited about Texas getting a professional team and continuing the growth of softball. Coach Clark and (Texas assistant coach) Corrie Hill have really helped me develop as a coach, so I am excited to have the opportunity to lead the Dallas Charge."
The Charge's first head coach possesses strong roots in the Dallas area, having grown up in Grand Prairie, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, where the city has named a complex "Jennifer McFalls Park" in her honor. The idea of returning to the area to help continue the growth of the sport was very appealing.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to coach the first NPF team in Dallas," McFalls said. "I had tremendous support growing up here playing the game, and now I am excited to continue helping the sport develop at the professional level. It's been amazing to see the growth of fastpitch softball in Texas. I am excited for the fans to see the level of talent that these ladies will bring."
Following a career at South Grand Prairie High School, McFalls was an NFCA All-American shortstop at Texas A&M, leading the Aggies in batting average, hits, total bases and slugging percentage during all four seasons of her career. McFalls was named A&M's Female Athlete of the Year in 1994 and elected to the Texas A&M Hall of Fame in 2001. She graduated from A&M in 1997 with a degree in kinesiology.
After college, McFalls was a member of the U.S. National Team from 1994-2000. She scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning during the US's 2-1 victory over Japan in the 2000 Olympic gold medal game. She also was a part of U.S. teams that won gold at both the 1998 ISF Women's World Championship and the 1999 Pan American Games.
As a coach, McFalls began her career as an assistant at her alma mater, Texas A&M (1995-97), and at the University of Oklahoma (1998). She then spent eight years in the Dallas area as an Assistant Athletic Director and head softball coach at the Hockaday School (2003-05) and Midlothian High School (2006-10) before moving on to an assistant's role at Texas.
The Dallas Charge's inaugural season kicks off at home on June 3, 2015, against the Pennsylvania Rebellion. For more information about the Dallas Charge, visit the team website www.dallascharge.com or call the front office at 724-CHARGE1 (724-242-7431). Fans can also follow the Charge on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
