In its bid to launch a softball program by 2018, Duke did not have to look far to land its first-ever head coach, tabbing an assistant from down the road who will have to adjust to a new shade of blue.
Former North Carolina assistant Marissa Young was introduced as the face of Blue Devil softball Thursday at a press conference at Cameron Indoor Stadium, a day after the hire was announced by vice president and director of athletics Kevin White. Young—a three-time All-America selection during her career as a pitcher at Michigan—comes to Duke after previous coaching stints at Concordia and Eastern Michigan.
Most recently, Young served as an assistant under Hall of Fame coach Donna Papa with the Tar Heels, where her primary responsibilities included working with pitchers and catchers. After helping lead North Carolina to a 37-16 overall record and NCAA tournament berth in 2015, Young is eager to begin building a program of her own in Durham.
“The culture of champions that has been built here is going to make my job easier,” Young said. “We’re going to build off the tradition, the culture that’s here and kids are going to be attracted to that. It will be my responsibility to know what Duke is all about and represent that.”
The first pitch of the first-ever Duke softball game will not take place until 2018, but Young and the athletic department have their work cut out for them laying the necessary foundation for the program to build upon.
The most apparent need is the construction of a softball stadium on campus for the team to call home, as currently no such venue exists. The athletic department has considered building the venue near Jack Katz Stadium on East Campus. The decision would make softball the second Duke sport to compete on East Campus—joining field hockey—and offer an opportunity to utilize some shared space, which the department previously accomplished with the January opening of Kennedy Tower, used for events at both Koskinen Stadium and Williams Track and Field Stadium on West Campus.
READ: Duke deals with the logistics of adding softball
While talk of the stadium continues, Young will be tasked with finding players to fill the dugout. In her introductory press conference, she called recruiting her top priority and the "future bloodline" of the program. Filling a roster ready to compete for championships in the ACC could take some time—Duke plans to phase in scholarships until the program has the NCAA-maximum 12 full scholarships by the 2021 season.
Young pointed to the University's traditions and academic prowess as major selling points on the recruiting trail, adding that she believes her greatest struggle will be having to turn students away.
“My hope is to bring in some kids a year in advance—whether that be transfers or 2016 grads—who have time to come in and get acclimated to the college lifestyle and what our expectations are for the program, but obviously we are going to start with a big group of freshmen coming in,” Young said. “Kids are going to come here really motivated and excited to be the first and lay the groundwork for the tradition of this program.”
Young first heard about Duke’s plans to start a program during a conversation with Papa a year ago. In a testament to the respect between the two Tobacco Road schools, Young pursued the Duke position with the full support of her Tar Heel coach.
“Knowing the reputation here at Duke and what the academic experience offers, I knew instantly that this is something that I would be interested in,” Young said. “As you move forward in your career you become more and more selective about where you want to be. I knew Duke was a place I would feel great selling the college experience, the personal and professional development and the academics to my student-athletes."
Young—a mother of three—also said that she thinks of the position as an opportunity to represent her family and make her children proud.
“I am just excited and blessed to be in a position to be that role model for young women and especially for young women of color," Young said. “This isn’t an opportunity that comes every day but it was a lot of years of hard work and it’s paid off. And I’m really excited to represent that.”
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