Bertagnolli inducted into NFCA Hall of Fame
Courtesy of California Sports Information
SAN ANTONIO – California University of Pennsylvania head softball coach
Rick Bertagnolli was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame on Friday night as part of the organization's annual convention.
Bertagnolli has compiled a 967-277 overall record (.777) in 30 years as a head coach, including the last 20 seasons at Cal U. The all-time winningest coach in all of school history, he has led the Vulcans to a 705-227 (.756) record and claimed the school's first-ever National Championships in 1997 and 1998.
While at Cal U, Bertagnolli has guided the program to 18 berths in the NCAA Tournament (1994-04, 2006, 2008-13) and five appearances at the NCAA Championships (1994, 1996-99). The Vulcans are the last team, and fourth overall, to repeat as the NCAA Division II National Champion.
Bertagnalli has led the Vulcans to 15 PSAC West regular-season titles (1994-03, 2009-13) and five PSAC Tournament championships (1996-00), plus six runner-up finishes at the league tournament (1994-95, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2013).
A native of Benld, Ill., Bertagnolli has been selected the NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year four times and twice was chosen as NFCA National Coach of the Year. His players have earned 31 NFCA All-America honors and 10 Academic All-America selections, the most by any sport in school history. The team has won 30 or more games 14 times, including a school-record 53 victories in 1997.
Bertagnolli has coached nine players who have been inducted into the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame, highlighted by four-time NFCA First-Team All-American Lith Webb and NFCA National Player of the Year Danielle Penner, who still holds the NCAA Division II record for victories in a season. Bertagnolli has also mentored two players who have played for Team Canada in the Olympics – Meaggan Wilton (2000 Sydney) and Megan Timpf (2008 Beijing).
Prior to Cal U, Bertagnolli spent time as the head coach at South Carolina-Spartanburg (now South Carolina-Upstate) and Wabash Valley College (Ill.). He started his coaching career in 1984 at the high school level and won the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state championship three years later while at Bunker Hill.
Joining Bertagnolli as members of the 2013 NFCA Hall of Fame Class were Florida Atlantic's Joan Joyce, Alabama's Patrick Murphy and Minnesota State Mankato's Lori Meyer. Former Bloomsburg head coach Jan Hutchinson (1978-10) and Bertagnolli are the only coaches from the PSAC to be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame, which is comprised strictly of coaches.