Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock announced Tuesday that Scot Thomas has been relieved of his coaching duties as head coach of Virginia Tech’s softball program. In sharing the announcement, Babcock indicated a national search for Thomas’ replacement will begin immediately.
“Scot Thomas transformed the vision of former athletic director Dave Braine and longtime senior woman administrator Sharon McCloskey of a nationally competitive softball program at Virginia Tech into a reality,” Babcock said. “We will be forever indebted to Coach Thomas for literally building our program from scratch and developing it into a national contender and a Women’s College World Series participant.”
Thomas compiled a 794-568 (.583) overall record dating back to the program’s initial season of competition in 1996. It took Thomas only three years to produce his initial winning season in 1998. One season later, the Hokies registered a program-record 54 victories, finishing the season ranked No. 25 in the nation.
As the program moved from the Atlantic 10 to the BIG EAST and eventually the ACC in 2005, the Hokies remained consistently successful. Thomas led the Hokies to conference tournament title games in all three of those leagues and eventually guided Tech to a berth in the 2008 Women’s College World Series.
Virginia Tech and Florida State are the only two ACC softball programs ever reach softball’s grandest stage in Oklahoma City.
“Coach Thomas and his student-athletes provided many historic moments for the Hokies over 23 seasons,” Babcock continued. “We will work diligently to find the right individual to serve as the leader of our program going forward. We will make no further comments regarding our softball search until we announce our new head coach.”
Babcock indicated that senior associate AD Chris Helms will lead Tech’s search effort. Helms currently serves as a member of the NCAA Softball Committee. He also confirmed that Angela Tincher O’Brien will serve as interim head coach.
Under Thomas’ leadership, Tech made eight NCAA Regional appearances, earning four consecutive berths from 2012-15 and 2005-08 as the Hokies won back-to-back ACC championships in 2007-08.
In Tech’s run to the 2008 WCWS, Tincher O’Brien, a three-time ACC Player of the Year, earned National Player of the Year honors in 2008 and recorded a no-hitter against the USA Olympic Softball team, which ended Team USA’s 185-game pre-Olympic win streak.
“I accept the decision by Whit Babcock to move in a new direction with our softball program,” Thomas said. “It has been with tremendous pride and pleasure that I was able to lead this program for 23 years. I am proud to say that we made history and we were able to take the program to levels that were difficult to imagine given where we began. We did it anyway. I want to thank all of my former staff, players, alumni, and supporters of our program for their dedication over the years.
“To my family and friends that have been with me through it all, I appreciate your support and love, it would not have been possible without you,” he continued. “I especially want to thank Dave Braine and Sharon McCloskey for the opportunity and trust they put in me to start the program. Last but certainly not least, Andrew and Liza, being college coach’s kids isn’t easy and I have missed important plays, programs, etc. and they have paid the sacrifice, I love you both. Being the head coach of Virginia Tech was a dream come true and I will always treasure my years leading the Hokies’ softball program. I am and will always be Hokie softball’s biggest fan and wish the incoming staff great success.”
The 2007 ACC Coach of the Year and the 1999 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Thomas and his staff were named the NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013. He also earned VaSID State Coach of the Year accolades on six occasions.
Opened in 1998, Tech Softball Park serves as the program’s home located on Beamer Way on the Virginia Tech campus. Capable of hosting NCAA Regional events, Tech Softball Park hosted the ACC Softball Tournament in 2010 and 2015.
In 2017, plans were also announced for an estimated $16.5 million project to create a new, 17,000-square foot Student-Athlete Performance Center that will encompass the entire fourth floor of the Jamerson Athletic Center.
The project will benefit all 22 varsity sports at Tech and will serve many functions throughout the year, most notably serving as a nutrition and dining hub for all student-athletes. The team also benefits from the Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning center located in Cassell Coliseum.
–VT Athletics
