OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Heather Tarr, the Washington Huskies softball head coach and a former Pacific assistant coach, has been named the head coach for the 2022 USA Softball Women's National Team. She was selected by members of the USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Committee and will lead Team USA at the 2022 World Games, in addition to various international competitions throughout the year.
After playing at Washington from 1994 to 1997 as an infielder, she played professionally in the Women's Professional Softball League and spent the 1998 season as an undergraduate assistant for the Huskies. Her first fulltime coaching position was at Pacific, joining the Brian Kolze's staff in 1999 and coaching for five seasons. She was named associate head coach prior to the 2004 season. The following year, she accepted the head coaching position at her alma mater. The Pacific coaching staff that included Kolze and Tarr earned NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2001 after guiding the Tigers to the Big West title and three wins in the NCAA regional, getting to within one game of the College World Series.
"My coaching foundation began at the University of the Pacific under Brian Kolze," Tarr said. "I am forever grateful for the opportunity he and the student-athletes at Pacific gave me to fall in love with the profession. I was able to live out my dream as an educator in sport because of the six years I spent honing my skills and developing a love for the game in Stockton."
"We here at Pacific couldn't be happier nor prouder for Heather," said Kolze. "She was such a tremendous asset to our program in her six years here. I can't even put into words how much she meant to our athletes or me during that time. Hopefully she learned as much from me as I did from her during that time. Her credentials speak for themselves and there is no doubt that USA Softball chose the right individual to lead the program now and in the future."
Tarr is part of a strong Kolze Division I softball coaching tree. Other former coaches that have gone onto coach at the NCAA Division I level include Cindy Ball-Malone (UCF 2018-present, Boise State (2015-18)); Gina Carbonatto (Santa Clara 2020-present); Kristy Schroeder (UC Santa Barbara (2002-07)); and Kim Kostyk Sowder (Long Beach State (2007-present). Ball and Carbonatto were multi-year All-America players at Pacific. Ball and Carbonatto were both assistants at Pacific under Kolze and at Washington under Tarr.
Tarr has been involved with USA Softball for several years, serving as head coach for the Junior Women's National Team and Assistant Coach for the Women's National Team. She was an assistant coach for USA during the silver medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics this past summer.
"I look forward to the opportunity to help the United States build toward its future and am honored to be charged with an eager mindset of adding to the foundations laid by current and past USA Softball athletes and coaches," said Tarr in the USA Softball release. "I feel prepared, inspired and compelled to take on this challenge. Being a part of the 2020 Olympic experience, I was able to witness women like Cat Osterman, Danielle Lawrie, and Ukiko Ueno become the best at their craft. Because of my experiences, I am compelled to do more so that our women who compete for USA Softball have the opportunity to become the best in the world."
