Softball Coaching Staff
SCOT THOMAS
HEAD SOFTBALL COACH
Coach Thomas enters his fourth season as Head Coach for the Lady Commodores Softball Program.
Coach Thomas guided his team to a 23-22 (0.511 winning %) record during the 2020-21 season. The 2021 team excelled in the classroom with six players earning NJCAA All-Academic honors. Sophomore outfielder Summer Johnson earned NFCA/NJCAA DI 1st Team All-Region and NFCA NJCAA DI Second Team All-American honors.
During his first season as Head Coach, Thomas led his team to a record of 20-8 (0.714 winning %). Due to the covid-19 virus the 2019-2020 squad was unable to finish their season.
Coach Thomas spent 23 years as Head Coach for the Virginia Tech Softball Program. Since 1996, the first season Virginia Tech fielded a softball team, Thomas has had 17 winning or .500 seasons in 22 campaigns, has led the Hokies to eight NCAA appearances, two ACC titles, and took Tech to the pinnacle of the sport in 2008, the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
The Hokies narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament in 2016 after going up against
one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Tech finished the season ranked 44th
in the RPI with a 29-28 overall mark and a 9-12 record in conference play.
Prior to 2016, the Hokies appeared in four-consecutive NCAA Regionals from 2012-15
and compiled an overall record of 150-88. Tech’s last NCAA Tournament team in 2015
re-wrote the program’s offensive record book, breaking the school record with 65 home
runs. That total included a school-record 17 home runs from Kelsey Mericka.
Tech reached its seventh NCAA Tournament in 2014 after finishing third in the ACC
with a 19-9 record, its most league wins since joining the conference in 2005. All-ACC
performers Lauren Gaskill, Kylie McGoldrick and Katie Smith were coupled with a pitching
staff, led by first-year pitching coach Angela Tincher-O’Brien, that posted the second-most
strikeouts in the ACC with 362.
Gulf Coast State College Records and Career Highlights
Career Highlights while Coaching at VT:
2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year
2007, 2008, 2012 & 2013 NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year
1999 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year
1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008 & 2012 VaSID State Coach of the Year
Email: nthomas1@gulfcoast.edu
Phone: 850.747.3830
SARA SMITH
ASSISTANT SOFTBALL COACH
Coach Smith enters her second season with the Lady Commodores Softball Program.
College Career:
2020
Made four appearances, including three starts ... Threw 5.2 innings in relief against
Morgan State (2/15) only giving up one hit and striking out three ... Kept opposing
batters to a .256 batting average ... Struck out eight batters on the season
2019
Smith threw 16.2 innings in eight appearances … Made four starts … Had three of her
eight season strikeouts against Austin Peay on March 1
Prior to Radford (South Georgia State College)
Played two years at South Georgia State College in Douglas, Ga. … Won 2018 state championship
… Named second team all-conference as a freshman and all-tournament team as a sophomore
… Earned 108 strikeouts and had six saves in her time at South Georgia
High School
Played four years at Houston County in Warner Robins, Ga. … Named first team all-county,
first team all-region twice and first team all-state … Won 5A Georgia Dugout Player
Of The Year … Named 5A Pitcher of the Year as a senior ... Led her team to 61-16 record
as a junior and senior … Helped the Bears earn a sweet 16 appearance as a junior and
an elite eight appearance as a senior.
Email: ssmith94@gulfcoast.edu
Bob Thayer
Assistant Softball Coach
will enter his fourth season with the Lady Commodores Softball Program as their Volunteer Pitching Coach.
Thayer is one of the most recognized softball names in the panhandle. He retired after
serving as the GCCC Softball Pitching Coach for 14 years. Thayer pitched over 20 years
in tournaments all over the country.
Coach Thayer moved to Panama City, FL in 1979 from Maryland and pitched for the local
team Jim Elliot Dodge, winning two state championships. He later pitched for the Tate
Oilers and came within one game of going to the Natinoals losing 1-0.
Thayer finished his playing career in 1983 when he pitched for the nationally know
Clearwater Bombers.