Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/290421
I t's not exactly a bold statement coming from a coach, but to hear the words come out of Amanda Lehotak's mouth is to understand she believes she's extreme even in relation to her peers. "I have kind of a weird obsession with winners," said Penn State's first-year soft- ball coach. "I take notes on everything, I read every book – 'The Tipping Point,' 'Good to Great' – and there are just so many coaches to learn from. I'll pick up the phone and call anybody. … I study so many people, it's ridiculous." As weird, ridiculous obsessions go, an infatuation with not losing seems like a pretty normal one for someone in Leho- tak's line of work. But in a way, it is a leap, at least on paper: Simply put, Penn State softball and winning have only oc- casionally been synonymous, and as the latest coach charged with changing that, Lehotak brings a re- sume of under-the- radar success at small, warm-weather pro- grams. Now in Happy Valley, she's looking to apply her obsessive focus to a program with lots of resources, but without the his- tory, recruiting base or weather usually conducive to thriving on the diamond. Born and raised in Ne b ra s ka , L e h o ta k to o k a c i rc u i to u s route to State College. She set the single- season hits record at Ole Miss as a sophomore before trans- ferring to Nebraska-Omaha, where she earned third-team All-America honors before wrapping up her career in 2003. She went immediately into coaching, serving time as an assistant at the high school and college ranks before taking over as head coach at Jacksonville Uni- versity in 2006. In five seasons with the Dolphins, Lehotak's teams improved every year, peaking with a 44-16 mark in 2011, when JU won the Atlantic Sun Conference title and earned its first- ever NCAA bid. She spent the past two seasons at Texas- San Antonio before coming to Penn State in August, replacing Robin Petrini, who resigned after 17 seasons in the Lions' SOFTBALL Penn State falls to No. 6 Wolverines Penn State scored four runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Nittany Lions' late heroics were not enough to stave off a 12-4 loss to No. 6 Michigan in five in- nings March 29 at Nittany Lion Soft- ball Park and Beard Field. Sophomore Karlie Habitz led the charge, posting PSU's first hit of the day to break up a no-hit bid from Michigan's Haylie Wagner. Freshman Shelby Miller and senior Alyssa Sovereign contributed to the late rally with one hit each. The Lions (6-21, 0-6 Big Ten) also drew three walks from Wagner, tying for the most the pitcher has given up this season. HOME GROWN Lehotak is looking to develop the Nit- tany Lion program by recruiting the best players in the Northeast. She wants to "not only recruit Pennsylvania, but every state Pennsylvania touch- es." Photo by Penn State Athletic Com- munications | THINKING BIG Amanda Lehotak is determined to build a winner at PSU