The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic takes place every year, and brings in dozens of the nation's top teams. But just who is the woman whose name the tournament bears?
Mary Kathryn Nutter was born on June 25, 1947 in Cadillac, Michigan. She began her softball career at Michigan State, spending much of her early career in the Great Lakes State. She played for the Lansing Laurels, an ASA Women's Major team. She played one season as a player/coach, again with a Michigan-based squad, in the WPSL, the early version of what is now known as the NPF.
After seven years as a teacher in, you guessed it, Michigan, Mary served as a graduate assistant at her alma mater while obtaining her Master's degree.
She later began her full-time coaching career at then-NAIA Pittsburg State University in Kansas. At PSU, Mary earned three District 10 championships and was named Coach of the Year a trio of times, as well. She was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the NFCA Hall of Fame in 1997.
Mary founded and served as president of National Sports Clinics, a series of coaching clinics, and was also co-owner of a catering company.
Mary Nutter passed away in Fairplay, Colorado on July 25, 2012 at the age of sixty-five.
No comments:
Post a Comment