🏈 Stephanie VanBrakle Named Alabama Pitching Coach

[TerryP]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama head softball coach Patrick Murphy has named former Crimson Tide All-American Stephanie VanBrakle as the new pitching coach, he announced Tuesday.

VanBrakle returns to Tuscaloosa after spending one season as the head coach at Samford.

"Aly (Habetz) and I are both very excited to have Stephanie as our first former athlete to join the coaching staff," Murphy said. "She led us to new heights as a player and we are hoping she can do the same thing as a coach. Her competitiveness and work ethic as an athlete were two of her biggest assets. If those two qualities can rub off on our current pitchers, they will be better because of it."


Read More Here.

 

[TerryP]

Pegged this one a month ago Bran.

Welcome home Steph!

 

[doemasters]

Brandon sure knows his stuff

 

[TerryP]

Pegged this one <strike> a month ago</strike> Bran.

Welcome home Steph!

16 days...gave him too much credit Lance.

---------------------

I never saw a "deer in the headlights" look out of SVB when she was on the mound...and, I hope she can translate those nerves to our younger pitchers. It certainly was one thing that Kelsi showed especially with that first shot over the fence against UF in the WCWS. I knew she was done.

 

[TerryP]

Just to add a bit to this...

Before Murphy shot out west to watch softball and recruit, he tweeted this note about Rhoads Stadium...it reads, this copy and paste, newest to oldest so the original question is at the bottom.

UACoachMurphy Patrick Murphy



New capacity will be close to 4,000 at Rhoads Stadium!

24 Jun

»

UACoachMurphy Patrick Murphy



Yes! More seating going in ... Extension of the brickyard. Best place to watch college softball in the country is Rhoads Stadium.

24 Jun



»

revlowedown John Lowe by UACoachMurphy



@UACoachMurphy What are they piling that dirt up for behind Center Field at the softball complex? Additional seating?

24 Jun

 

[bamagirlinBR]

I like this hire. Steph will be a good recruiter too. She has improved every team she has coached.

No disprespect intented to Vann either.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Terry actually pegged this before I did... I'm happy with the hire.

 

[doemasters]

well Terry sure knows his stuff then :a:

 

[TerryP]

well Terry sure knows his stuff then :a:

WAY too much credit then...

Just to fill you guys in a bit...we do have a private forum here where some of the contributors to the site share stories, news, suspicions, rumors, etc. Brandon asked if I had heard anything about Murphy interviewing over Father's Day weekend. I hadn't at that point, but did know that VanBrakle was at the top of Murphy's list of Vann's replacements.

I think this is a FANTASTIC hire. I really wish Vann the best at MSU. But, I've got "history" with VanBrakle. Hell, even tried to hit her pitching when she was at the Capstone. (Emphasis on "tried.")

As a side note: If you guys haven't figured this out yet...Bran, Lance and I tend to follow women's softball...eh, closely?

RTR!

 

[TerryP]

BTW, the news on the expansion at Rhoads was a pleasant surprise a few weeks ago. While we already had the largest stadium in the NCAA and led the nation in attendance last year this addition / expansion is icing on the cake.

If ANYONE here hasn't been to a softball game at UA, you need to do it immediately. It rivals GymTide as one of the most family friendly UA events we have.

 

[bamagirlinBR]

BTW, the news on the expansion at Rhoads was a pleasant surprise a few weeks ago. While we already had the largest stadium in the NCAA and led the nation in attendance last year this addition / expansion is icing on the cake.

If ANYONE here hasn't been to a softball game at UA, you need to do it immediately. It rivals GymTide as one of the most family friendly UA events we have.

I tell that to every Bama fan that I know. Even if you don't get into softball the game experience at Rhodes Stadium is great. The team, year after year, are ALWAYS appreciative of the fan support. To a girl, each and every team player that I have met the last 4 years that I have been able to attend games has thanked me for coming to the game. I don't get to go to many so the ones that I do get to go to are treasured.

It really shows a lot about how Stephanie feels about Alabama when she is willing to step down from a head coach position to take a pitching coach position at Bama. She tweeted this morning that she woke up and was "home".

 

[TerryP]

She tweeted this morning that she woke up and was "home".

what's her username?

 

[bamagirlinBR]

what's her username?

svanbrak

 

[TerryP]

I added an interview with Coach Murphy over on the "Other Athletic Forums" this morning. It's worth a few minutes of your time to take a listen.

Thanks BamagirlinBR.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Murphy indicated yesterday there might be some more good news for the team today...

 

[doemasters]

hopefully the news is that they are going to give Porter and myself photo passes for each game

 

[ElephantStomp]

I'm thinking about taking my 8 year daughter down for a softball game.

 

[TerryP]

I'm thinking about taking my 8 year daughter down for a softball game.

You should...both of you would have a blast...

There's a link up on the other forum with that interview...weird, it worked fine earlier.

 

[ElephantStomp]

You should...both of you would have a blast...

There's a link up on the other forum with that interview...weird, it worked fine earlier.

I think it would be a blast. She wants to play softball and we've both always enjoyed watching it together. I've been trying to get the University of Wyoming to make their softball team a university sport instead of a club team, but no luck as of yet.

It works great, thanks.

 

[TerryP]

It's a long drive for you, isn't it?

As mentioned earlier, with the exception of GymTide, I don't know if there is a more family friendly environment than the games in Rhoads. Although, spirits surely rise high when teams like UF come to town.

It's been a few years since I've done this, but if you time it correctly you can catch a scrimmage in football, a softball game, sometimes one is even able to catch a basketball or early baseball game. Granted, you won't be able to see the entire contest jumping around so much, but it does give you the opportunity to literally see the entire campus and enjoy a lot of sporting events. That said, the walk from BDS to RS is a bit of a trek.