Crissy Strimple | Head Coach
Crissy Strimple | Head Coach
Crissy Strimple is in her fourth season as the head softball coach and 18th season with the Golden Hurricane. She has posted a 56-57-1 record in her first three seasons at the helm of the program.
In 2022, Strimple’s team faced a difficult schedule that included three teams who made the Women’s College World Series and the eventual champions. Four Hurricane athletes received all-conference awards: a first-team, a seocnd-team and two all-rookie team selections.
In her second season as the head coach of the Hurricane, Strimple led TU to a 25-16 record, including a 15-8 record in American Athletic Conference play. The Hurricane earned the 4 seed in the AAC tournament, defeating the No. 5-seeded Houston Cougars 8-2 in the first round of the tournament. The Hurricane had a marquee victory against UCF, winning the series 3-1 against the then ranked-22 Knights. Three Hurricane players received all-conference awards, two all-rookie team members and one NFCA all-region selection during Strimple's second season.
During the 2020 season, Strimple led the Hurricane to a 13-11 record before the season was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic. Tulsa started the season going 7-0 the second best start in program history only to the 8-0 start by the 2002 Hurricane.
Strimple was named the sixth head softball coach at The University of Tulsa on June 12, 2019. Strimple took the reigns of the program after spending 14 seasons in the TU dugout as a player and coach, including eight seasons as the associate head coach.
During her time with the Golden Hurricane, TU student-athletes earned 67 all-conference honors, 30 NFCA All-Region laurels and six NFCA All-America awards. The program amassed 464 wins, five regular-season conference titles, six conference tournament crowns and 10 NCAA Regional appearances.
Strimple mentored the Tulsa infielders and served as the recruiting coordinator in her role as associate head coach. Her infielders have produced six NFCA All-Region selections, 23 all-conference awards and an All-America honor. She was instrumental in the development of Jill Barrett, who claimed three all-conference certificates and closed her career in 2014 as a second-team NFCA All-American and Conference USA Player of the Year.
She has coached an infield defense that contributed to two record-setting seasons in fielding percentage and one in fewest errors. The 2010 squad committed a program-low 36 errors, and the 2010 and 2011 teams fielded at a .975 clip, matching the 2005 team for best fielding percentage. The 2017 team nearly matched that mark with a .974 fielding percentage.
Since 2008, the TU offense has set eight separate single-season school records, including batting average, hits, runs, RBI, home runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Strimple played third base for TU during the 2002 and 2003 campaigns, following a two-year tenure at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
As a player with the Golden Hurricane, Strimple led the team with 10 home runs as a senior and she was the team’s Offensive Player of the Year in both her junior and senior seasons. Defensively, she holds the top two single-season assist totals in the Tulsa record book. Strimple also became the first freshman in Northeastern Oklahoma A&M history to earn first-team NJCAA All-America Region II honors.
Strimple returned to Tulsa after serving as an assistant coach at Central Arkansas in 2007. While at UCA, Strimple was responsible for the coordination of recruiting, as well as supervising the academic progress of the team. She also worked heavily with the defensive schemes for the Bears.
Prior to her stint at UCA, she served as the director of softball operations at Arkansas for two seasons (2005-06). Strimple also was a team manager where her duties included travel, equipment, field maintenance and general management of the softball office.
Strimple graduated from The University of Tulsa in 2003 with a degree in exercise sports science before she earned her master's degree in education with emphasis on sports administration from Arkansas in 2006.
Sandra Owens | Assistant Coach
Sandra Smith is in her fourth season as an assistant coach at The University of Tulsa. Smith’s main responsibilities include working with the Hurricane outfielders, while also coordinating Tulsa’s travel on the road.
In her third year assisting the Hurricane Kylie Norwood and Chenise Delce earned first-team all conference honors, while Alexis Perry was named second-team all-conference. Imani Edwards and Haley Morgan were both selected to the AAC all-rookie team.
In Smith’s first season at TU, two Golden Hurricane outfielders earned all-conference honors. Julia Hollingsworth earned first-team all-conference recognition and was a second-team NFCA All-Region honoree, while Mikayla Whitten was named to The American’s second team.
Hollingsworth, who also made the American Championship All-Tournament Team, led the team with a .380 batting average to go along with a program-record seven triples, seven doubles, three homers and 18 RBIs.
A Tulsa native, Smith came to the Golden Hurricane after spending five seasons (2013-17) as an assistant coach at Furman. At Furman, she was responsible for developing the Paladin hitters, infielders and catchers along with coordinating the team’s travel.
She helped guide Furman to 151 victories during her tenure, including 30-win seasons each of her final three campaigns. Smith was instrumental to the success of the Paladin offense as the team saw an increase in its batting average each of her first four seasons, culminating with a .301 mark in 2016. That 2016 squad set school records with 99 doubles and 59 home runs, including a program-record 15 homers by Candace Johnson.
Furman registered 31 wins and a share of the program’s first Southern Conference title in 22 years in 2017 and the staff earned the league’s Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
Several Furman players received recognition for their play under Smith’s tutelage, including Lindsey Bert, who was named the 2017 SoCon Pitcher of the Year, and Casey Bigham, the league’s Freshman of the Year last season. Additionally, shortstop Brittany Houston joined Bigham and Bert as first-team all-conference picks.
Smith also mentored shortstop Sieara Bishop, who was named 2015 SoCon Player of the Year. In all, Furman student-athletes garnered 20 all-conference selections, while five players claimed a spot on the league’s all-freshman team.
Prior to her time at Furman, Smith served as an assistant softball coach at Rogers [Ark.] High School in 2012. She also worked as a private hitting and infield instructor for two seasons and helped coach the Springdale Chicks U-15 team in the summer of 2012.
Smith enjoyed a successful playing career at Arkansas, where she still owns the program’s single-season RBI record with 50 as a senior in 2010. That season she hit .326 with nine home runs and was an NFCA All-South Region selection. Smith, who mostly played at third or first base, recorded a .995 fielding percentage and earned a spot on the league’s All-Defensive Team, as well.
She ranks among the program’s all-time top 10 in several categories, including walks (103/2nd), homers (29/3rd), RBIs (118/4th), on-base percentage (.372/7th), slugging percentage (.456/8th), total bases (266/8th) and putouts (663/9th).
Smith, who was a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, graduated from Arkansas in 2010 with degrees in education and kinesiology.
Before her time in Fayetteville, Smith earned all-state honors as a standout at Catoosa High School and led the Indians to district and conference championships as a senior.