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Schedule/Results | Roster | News | Archives Larry Stocking Named Softball Coach, Program to Play in 2006-07
Feb. 18, 2005 Pocatello, ID -- Larry Stocking, am Idaho State University graduate and the former coach who led Ricks College's softball program from infancy to national prominence has been named the new head coach for Idaho State's softball program, announced Director of Athletics Paul Bubb at a Friday afternoon press conference. Stocking most recently has served as both the head softball coach and Director of Athletics at Lake Land College, a two-year program in Mattoon, Illinois. Stocking will continue at Lake Land as both A.D. and head softball coach this spring before officially joining the Idaho State staff on July 1. "As we went through the process and considered all candidates, Larry clearly fit our needs," said ISU Athletic Director Paul Bubb. "In addition to having started a program from scratch and being a successful collegiate head coach, his degrees from Idaho State and connection to this area were real bonuses for us. His familiarity with some of the challenges playing softball in a northern climate, though I believe those challenges will be minimal, will also benefit his team's training and playing plans." "I am excited to have Larry join our staff and I look forward to the Bengals taking the field and that first pitch being thrown in the spring of 2007."
In conjunction with the naming of Stocking as head coach, it was also announced that the team will not play until the 2006-07 academic year, giving Stocking the 2005-06 season to recruit players and build the program. Said Bubb, "After visiting with our candidates and in consultation with President Bowen, I believe our best course of action is to get our head coach here this summer, allow him a year to recruit and get our program in order, and then begin competition in the 2006-2007 academic year." "Not beginning competition this fall will not prevent us from recruiting and signing student-athletes for next year, but that year will be used as a redshirt season and allow us to have two recruiting classes on campus before beginning competition," he added. Stocking brings to Idaho State a career record of 221-65, a .773 winning percentage. So far in his only season at Lake Land, he led the Lakers to a 29-15 overall record and a second place showing in the Collegiate Conference of Illinois after being selected eighth in the preseason poll. Lake Land also crashed into the NJCAA top 15, the first top 15 ranking in school history. At Lake Land, Stocking also served as Director of Athletics, where he helped establish the Laker Hall of Fame and the Laker Club. He also raised over $240,000 for the college, and constructed new brick dugouts and the softball field during his time there. Prior to Lake Land, Stocking helped start the Ricks College program in Rexburg, Idaho, and he immediately landed the Vikings on the national stage. In their inaugural season, the Vikings went 28-4, including a 14-2 record in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, winning the conference and Region 18 Championships and finishing seventh in the NJCAA.
He followed that up with seasons of 42-7 in 1997, 45-9 in 1998, and 47-11 in 1999, winning two more league titles, in 1997 and 1998. Over that span Ricks was a dominating 50-6 in Scenic West games, and the 1998 squad lost to Illinois Central 5-0 in the NJCAA National Championship Game after finishing third nationally the season before. In each of those first four seasons, Stocking earned Scenic West Athletic Conference and Region 18 Coach of the Year honors. Throughout his career, he has coached seven NJCAA All-Americans, and nearly 20 All-Region selections. While he served as the head coach at Ricks from 1996 to the just prior to the 2001 season, Stocking served as a health science instructor at Ricks, and in 1997 he was named the Division of Education's "Instructor of the Year". He also served as an adjunct faculty member in the department of education at Brigham Young University over the same time period. When softball officially plays their first game in the spring of 2007, it will mark the first varsity softball game at Idaho State since the spring of 1983. The Bengals currently are slated to play as an independent in softball, although that could change said A.D. Paul Bubb. "While the Big Sky does not sponsor softball as a conference sport, I would not rule that out in the future. Portland State and Sacramento State currently play, Eastern Washington is considering softball as one of three sports they may add in the future, and potential new conference member Northern Colorado already has the sport," said Bubb, adding, "We have had exploratory discussions with various leagues in the Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions and will continue to look for a home for our program." Stocking becomes Idaho State's fourth softball coach all-time, following Ellen Margolis (1976-80), Jo-Ann Garavaglia (1981) and Mary Ann Kluge (1982-83). Along with his coaching acumen, Stocking is an avid athlete, having complete eight marathons in his lifetime, including the 2004 Chicago Marathon. That race marked his first marathon after winning a battle with Hodgkin's disease, which led to his leaving Ricks in 2001. Stocking graduated twice from Idaho State, once in 1992 with a B.S. in Health Education and then again in 1993 with a master's in Education/Health. He also earned two A.A. degrees, in health science and physical education, from Ricks College. He is married, and he and his wife Tawnya have four children: Piper, Parker, Gehrig, and Paige. Idaho State Softball Coaching History |
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Idaho State Softball
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