Coaching a college sports team requires a lot of time, energy and skill. Amy Hogue, the head coach of the University of Utah softball team, knows this all too well as she is in her 18th year with the program.
Even before her coaching career started, Hogue was a standout player with the Utes as an undergraduate. Hogue earned high honors as an athlete in her four years with the team, and she still remains on the leaderboards for stolen bases, home runs, at-bats, hitting and runs.
“To coach at the school I attended is the best. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Hogue said. “I love my job and I loved the experience, and I want to give my players the same experience that I had when I was playing. I am a Ute through and through.”
Hogue is dedicated to providing the best atmosphere for her athletes to succeed in. As an athlete, Hogue excelled at Utah with the program and in school. She hopes all of her players do the same under her guidance.
Hogue acted as an assistant coach for three years before taking on the role as head coach. She also spent five seasons coaching at Salt Lake Community College. Previously, she was the graduate assistant coach at Utah, an assistant coach at Alta High School in Sandy, Utah, and she coached a competitive travel team outside of Utah.
As head coach of the program now, Hogue is constantly learning about the sport and about the people she interacts with. Every team she coaches is unique and that provides a good learning experience for her as new talent comes through the program.
“To go from athlete to coach, it’s so easy to care so deeply,” Hogue said. “The girls have so much life in them. It’s a cool part of their life.”
At the start of this season, Hogue reached two major checkpoints in her coaching career. This past weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic, Hogue earned her 300th win with Utah in addition to her 500th overall career win as a coach against UC Santa Barbara.
Hogue said although she has an impressive number of wins, she could easily count her losses. For a coach, the losses resonate more, because there is often a learning experience tied in with it.
“This just means that I’ve been coaching long enough to get that many wins,” Hogue said. “Every one of those wins was hard to get at this level, and now I have this to show for it. It’s not easy, but the girls and their commitment is the biggest part of getting me here.”
Hogue didn’t always dream of coaching softball. She completed her undergraduate at Utah in sociology and earned a master’s degree in social work.
She never considered coaching because she believed she would not be good at it, but when the opportunity presented itself, Hogue realized she had a true passion and talent for the position. Through trial and error, Hogue has coached many collegiate teams to playoffs and beyond, as well as leading the Utes through their first Pac-12 season, and all of the seasons to follow.
Hogue places a large emphasis on the community aspect of the softball program and wants all of her players to have the experience of a lifetime here in Utah. She wants to continue the legacy of the program and motivate the players to succeed on the diamond and in the classroom.
“Every team and every game is different, and that is what is so unique about this job,” Hogue said. “There’s nothing else that I would want to put this much time and effort into.”
@Casey_Overfield
