Aug. 14, 2003
The University of Kentucky softball program has added Michael Govig as an assistant coach, head coach Beth Pruitt announced Thursday. Govig joins the staff after 25 successful years of coaching softball on many levels of play.
Govig comes to Kentucky after serving as head coach of Papillion/La Vista High School in Papillion, Neb., for 10 years. During his tenure, he developed the program from its inception into a nationally ranked team, guiding the Monarchs to the last eight consecutive Nebraska state titles, beginning in 1995. His overall coaching record includes 334 wins and just 60 losses and he has coached 41 All-State players. Ten of his players went on to play NCAA Division I softball and 10 more played in NCAA Division II, while three of his former student-athletes won NCAA All-America honors. Among those players were Peaches James, who was named All-Big 12 and was a finalist for the 2002 College Player of the Year award at the University of Nebraska, and Tiffany Jones, a Division II All-American in 2001.
“We are thrilled to have a coach with the background and success level that Mike has achieved,” Pruitt said. “His ability to develop pitchers will have an immediate impact upon our program. He is not only a quality coach, but a quality person as well.”
Govig, a native of Omaha, Neb., graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1987 and received his Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Doane College in 1999. Along with coaching, he has 13 years of experience as a Physical Education teacher. Govig was named Nebraska Coach of the Year in 1997, 1999 and 2001, and was honored as a finalist for the National High School Athletic Association’s Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2002.
“This is a such a great opportunity,” Govig said. “I am looking forward to being able to help this program in any way that I can. It has been a goal of mine for many years to coach on the Division I level, and the opportunity to help Kentucky be successful in softball is what I hope to help this team accomplish.”
