Coaches' Corner: Patti Gerckens

This summer we'll be featuring various coaches from our 23 teams in a Q&A format on UCSDTritons.com as well as our social media accounts.

Patti Gerckens enters her 31st season as head coach of the UC San Diego softball program in 2022-23, the team’s third season competing in NCAA Division I.

Over her 30 years as head coach, Gerckens has guided the program through all three NCAA divisions in her tenure as UC San Diego made the final transition to Division I in July 2020. 

Since taking over the team in 1993, 34 of Gerckens' players have combined for 65 All-West Region selections. Forty-nine of her players have earned All-CCAA honors since 2001 and 11 have tabbed All-Big West acknowledgement. She has also coached five All-Americans. Four of her players have earned CCAA Freshman of the Year honors and three Tritons have won CCAA Player or Pitcher of the Year during her tenure, along with a Big West Pitcher and Player of the Year in 2022.

In Division II, Gerckens guided the Tritons to a perfect 9-0 record in the 2011 NCAA Championship, capping the season off with a 10-3 win over then-No. 1 Alabama-Huntsville in the title game. In 2011, UCSD compiled an overall record of 45-13, which stands as the most wins in a single season in program history and the highest win percentage (.776) since UCSD moved to Division II. The Tritons captured their first-ever CCAA regular-season championship and were awarded the No. 1 seed in the West Region for the NCAA Championship. UCSD swept its opponents in the postseason on its way to the first national championship in program history.

Gerckens also earned 2011 CCAA Coach of the Year, the second of her storied career. In 20 seasons at UCSD, Gerckens' squads have won 30 or games eight times and have finished with a winning record in 13 of those years. Her staff of Jessica Millsap, Nichole Willis, and former players Allison May and Sara Robinson was honored as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year and NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

Since transitioning to Division I, Gerckens wasted no time in tallying her first DI win, opening the season with 6-5 victory in 11 innings over Grand Canyon. The Tritons won in walk-off fashion on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze to defeat the Antelopes by one run. 

In their second season, she guided the Tritons to a 15-12 Big West Conference finish with the first ever DI postseason appearance at the National Invitational Softball Championship. Gerckens led the squad to a 1-2 appearance with the gold and blue topping Rutgers University in the opening game of the tournament. Deena Pederson earned All-NISC Tournament honors. The Tritons add six All-Big West honors to the record book along with Jada Cecil snagging Big West Pitcher and Player of the year. 

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What’s an interesting fact about you that’s not listed in your bio?

I love to be around my family, friends and I love to cook.

Any exciting summer plans?

I am looking forward to working on my new home and gathering with friends and family.

What's one skill/talent you wish you had or would like to learn?

I wish I was better at building and fixing things.

What are three words you would use to describe your team culture?

Family. Accountable. Competitive.

What has stood out most during the transition to Division I competition?

There has been a much bigger pool of scholar-athletes to choose from since transitioning to Division I. In Division III and II athletes chose UC San Diego for the school and now, money plays a bigger role. We still look for scholar-athletes who really want to come to UC San Diego for an outstanding education as well as great competition. 

What are you most looking forward to with your squad next season?

I am looking forward to watching how the team integrates the freshman into our team culture. Since we only graduate one athlete, I believe the team will be very competitive this season.

What's your favorite coaching memory?

In 30 years of coaching, it is hard to just pick one favorite memory. Of course, winning the National Championship stands out but there are days at practice when an athlete finally figures something out and the light bulb goes off that I leave practice knowing the day was outstanding. When an alumni show up at a game or practice and brings her family to meet the team that also warms my heart. I will just say that coaching is one great blessing filled with an abundance of wonderful memories. 

Who has influenced you most in your career and why?

My mother and father have influenced and supported me the most in my career. They were always there at games when I played and tried to attend as many as they could when I coached. Before and after every game they had encouraging words whether we won or lost. 

What's one piece of advice you've received that has stuck with you?

Try to stay calm and control my facial expressions when something not so good happens on the field. My older players will tell you that I was very animated in my youth, and it didn't serve me well. I try to keep a poker face on during games now. 

What stands out to you most when evaluating PSA's at camps or summer tournaments?

The athletes that stand out to me most are the ones who look as if they are having the most fun and are the best teammates on the field. The ones who hustle throughout the game also catch my eye. When mistakes happen, I especially take notice of how well the athlete handles the situation.

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Check back on UCSDTritons.com all summer long for future editions of “Coaches' Corner" from other UC San Diego coaches. Previous “Coaches' Corner” entries are below.

• Eric Newman (Baseball)
• Colin Truex (Women's Rowing)
• Heidi VanDerveer (Women's Basketball)
• Liz LaPlante (Women's Tennis)
• Timmer Willing (Men's Tennis)
• Brad Kreutzkamp (Women's Water Polo)
• Nate Garcia (Cross Country)
• Kristin Jones (Women's Soccer)
• Juan Ignacio Calderon (Fencing)
• Fred Hanover (Men's Golf)

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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.