Dec. 5, 2011
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association Vice President and chairperson of the Hall of Fame committee Kathryn Gleason announced Friday, Dec. 2, that North Carolina head coach Donna Papa has been chosen as a member of the 2012 NFCA Hall of Fame class. Papa will be joined by former Palomar head coach Mark Eldridge and Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso when the trio will be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame at the 2012 NFCA Convention in Orlando, Fla.
"I am extremely honored and thrilled on being selected for the 2012 class that will inducted into the NFCA Softball Hall of Fame," said Papa. "To be considered in the same company with all of those that have gone before me is overwhelming. I appreciate all the support the University of North Carolina has given me in my 27 years here. I am extremely grateful to all of the current and former players and assistants that have been a part of Carolina Softball. I owe a lot to all of them."
Papa has been the head softball coach at North Carolina since 1986. With over 1,000 career wins, she has been the architect of sustained success at UNC. Under her tutelage, the Tar heels have had 23 winnings seasons, including 13 in a row, and have been to the NCAA tournament in nine of the past 11 years. In the 2010-11 campaign, Papa led the Tar Heels to 27 wins and an appearance in the ACC Tournament Title game in Atlanta, Ga., for the first time since 2002.
Papa won her 1,000th career game during the 2010-11 season and did so in grand fashion as the Tar Heels blanked Florida State 4-0 March 27, in front of dozens of friends and former players at Anderson Stadium . The milestone victory for Coach Papa also marked the Tar Heels' first ever sweep of the Seminoles. Only 11 NCAA Division I coaches have ever achieved 1,000 victories.
Carolina claimed the 2001 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, four regular season titles and has played in the title game on three other occasions. Papa has been named ACC Coach of the Year four times - in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2008. Since coming to Chapel Hill in 1985, Papa has coached players to All-America seasons on 11 occasions and 56 players to All-Southeast Region honors.
During her time at North Carolina, Papa has also been a driving force behind the construction of the new UNC Softball Complex. The Tar Heels began play at Anderson Stadium and Williams field in 2002. The second phase of construction featured the additions of the team building, concessions, press box, restrooms and locker rooms.
Prior to arriving in Chapel Hill, Papa spent two seasons as head volleyball and softball coach at Susquehanna University. Her 1985 softball squad compiled a 16-8 record, won its conference division and qualified for the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship.
She served as an assistant softball coach at St. John's University from 1981-83 after spending one year as an assistant coach at UNC Greensboro while she worked toward a master's degree in physical education. Papa earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of Connecticut in 1979. She played four seasons of softball for the Huskies and was co-captain her junior and senior seasons. Papa's playing career also encompassed stints with ASA Major Fast Pitch teams including the Franklin Coronets (West Haven, Conn.) and the Waterford (Conn.) Mariners.
A respected clinician, Papa conducts Carolina softball camps and clinics throughout the year. She has been a member of the Louisville Slugger Advisory Board since 1994 and was a member of the Women's Pro Softball League Advisory Board. Papa is currently serving a two-year term on the NFCA All-America Committee and NFCA recruiting committee. She also served on the NCAA All-Region Committee and completed a two-year term representing the ACC on the NFCA Top-25 Selection Committee in 2006 and 2007. Championship Productions last year produced a video titled "All Access North Carolina Softball Practices with Donna Papa," which is a tribute to her excellent coaching technique and widespread respect in the softball coaching community. Moreover, the NFCA recently invited Coach Papa to write a chapter on "Establishing a Positive Player-Coach Relationship" for the "Softball Coaching Bible II."
Born March 16, 1956, in Waterbury, Conn., she was a recipient of the Olympian Award, presented by the Olympian Club of Waterbury, Conn., in recognition of outstanding achievement in athletics.
