Augustana Head Softball Coach Gretta Melsted HOF

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Augustana head softball coach Gretta Melsted has been announced as a member of the 2024 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame Class. Melsted will be one of three inductees in the 2024 class with induction set for Dec. 6, 2024.

Melsted, entering her 18th season leading the Vikings in 2024, is in her 21st year as a head coach. She has guided AU to the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship while appearing in 11 NCAA Tournaments since 2010.

Since stepping into the Augustana dugout in 2007, Melsted has steered the Vikings to 15 straight winning seasons with at least 40 wins in 10 of those years. Four times the Vikings have eclipsed 50 wins with a school-record 61 wins coming in the 2019 national championship run.

Overall, Melsted has garnered a 763-348 career record with 682 of those wins coming at Augustana. The remaining 81 victories came at Culver-Stockton. Within NSIC action, she has guided the Vikings to an incredible 81 percent winning percentage behind a 331-78 record.

The Vikings have reached the NCAA Division II National Championship site three times, made three super regional appearances, captured three Central Region titles, claimed five NSIC championships and claimed three NSIC Tournament titles under Melsted.

Melsted's wins have come through the development of 20 NFCA All-America honorees and 44 NFCA All-Region honorees. Melsted has tutored a staggering 86 NSIC All-Conference honorees with four NSIC Players of the Year, an NSIC Pitcher of the Year, six NSIC Freshmen of the Year and three NSIC Newcomers of the Year.

With a history of developing a whole student-athlete, Kendall Cornick was named the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year, just the second-ever from an NCAA Division II institution.

Melsted has also coached 10 CSC Academic All-Americans, 15 CSC Academic All-District honorees and 96 student-athletes to NSIC All-Academic honors.

Other accolades for Melsted include being named the NSIC Coach of the Year five times, earning two NFCA Central Region Staff of the Year awards and earning the 2019 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year.

In addition to coaching the Vikings, Melsted is active in the NFCA, serving as the Association's Division II Board Representative, while serving multiple terms on the Division II All-America, Head Coaches and Top-25 committees.

Melsted will become the second member of the NFCA Hall of Fame from Augustana, joining Sandy Jerstad, a 2000 inductee.

The 2024 induction class includes former University of Texas head coach Connie Clark and current University of Florida head coach Tim Walton along with Melsted.