STOCKTON, Calif. – The winningest softball coach in Pacific history, Brian Kolze announced his retirement after 32 seasons as head coach.
 
Since taking over the team in 1992, the Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame coach has recorded over 800 victories. He crossed the metric after defeating Seton Hall at home on March 4, 2022 and will enter his final two days of coaching with an 823-796-2 record.
 
"It has been a true honor and a privilege to have been able to coach at University of the Pacific for 32 years. Never did I expect this when I was hired in the fall of 1992," Kolze said. "To all the staff, assistant coaches and student-athletes that have been associated with the program over these years, I say, thank you. You have all had a positive influence on my career. I would like to personally thank President [Christopher] Callahan and Director of Athletics Adam Tschuor for allowing me to continue at the university in another capacity. I am both nervous and excited to continue a new chapter in my life. I hope I can give back the same support to the department, the university and its student-athletes as they have given to both me and the softball program over the years."
 
Kolze guided the Tigers to eight NCAA tournament appearances and a Big West Championship title in 2011. That season, the Tigers were 16-5 in Big West conference games and held a 37-19 record overall. After clinching the program's first ever Big West championship, Kolze guided the Tigers to their 12th ever NCAA tournament berth.
 
"Coach Kolze has invested so much to Pacific softball over the last three decades and is one of the most accomplished and reputable coaches in the history of the department. Not only has he been a staple to Pacific Athletics, but he's also played a significant role in the Stockton community. We're incredibly grateful for all he's done and the countless lives he's impacted over his time coaching at Pacific," Tschuor said.
 
Pacific is launching a national search for the program's next head coach.
 
Under Kolze's leadership, the softball program has produced 10 NFCA All-Americans, five Academic All-Americans, 34 NFCA West Regional selections and a combined 139 All-Conference selections between the Big West and WCC. The four-time Big West Conference Coach of the Year boasted 12 teams that were ranked in the NFCA/USA Today Top-25 from 1994 to 2012.
 
Placing an emphasis on success in the classroom, Kolze's teams have earned a combined 99 All-Academic conference recognitions over his tenure.
 
In tandem with his coaching duties, Kolze also serves on the NCAA Division 1 Softball Committee, the group that evaluates and selects the 64 teams that make up the national championship field. He has been a longstanding member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) since 1990 and a National Team Coaching Pool member with USA Softball since 2005.
 
Kolze got his coaching start in 1988 as an assistant at UNLV, where he helped guide the Rebels to back-to-back NCAA Regional Championships. After a four-year stint in Las Vegas, the Lodi native returned to the Northern California area, taking on a similar role at Sacramento State. After serving just a season right up the road, Kolze took his first head coaching job at Pacific in 1992.
 
Kolze played baseball at Cal State Northridge and received his degree in Journalism with a minor in political science. He played and coached for Stockton's Robertson Homes Class "B" men's fastpitch softball team, which finished third in the 1989 National Tournament.
 
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