Title: Head coach, Georgia Tech University
Sport: Fastpitch Softball
Career Record:

Sharon Perkins, now in her third year at Georgia Tech, recorded her 100th career win against Western Kentucky in the championship game of the Buzz Classic on March 8, 2009. After leading the Yellow Jackets to a school-record 54 wins in 2007 and its highest final ranking at No. 16, Perkins might have had her most difficult coaching task in 2008. Despite numerous injuries to key starters, including just one healthy pitcher at one point in the season, Perkins guided the Jackets to a fourth-place finish in the ACC and their seventh-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. As a first-year head coach in 2007, Perkins led Georgia Tech to its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Yellow Jackets shattered several Atlantic Coast Conference offensive records and made their third appearance of the last four years in the ACC Championship Game. Amongst the dozen or so accomplishments under the direction of Perkins in 2007 were 96 home runs, surpassing the school-record 75 in 2006. That mark led the nation and finished as the ninth-best all-time total in NCAA history. The Jackets set a new ACC record with 451 runs scored, tied for 11th-best all-time in NCAA history. It also went on to set new league season records in batting average (.322), total bases (1,027), RBI (416) and slugging percentage (.536). Perkins’ banner first season in Atlanta also saw a league-high six All-ACC Academic picks, an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American and four, first-team All-ACC selections. Prior to arriving at Tech, Perkins spent six seasons at the University of Georgia where she helped build a strong program that was ranked in the Top 10 the last four years. The team made five straight NCAA appearances, including a Super Regional berth in 2005, won two Southeastern Conference titles and posted a 313-104 record. Perkins joined the Georgia staff for the 2001 season and was promoted to associate head coach in July of 2004. She previously spent two seasons (1999-2000) as an assistant coach at Southern Mississippi, where the Eagles made consecutive College World Series appearances and finished third in 2000, falling to UCLA 6-0 in the semifinals. Perkins has twice been part of a coaching staff that was honored as the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) regional coaching staff of the year, at Southern Mississippi in 1999 and at Georgia in 2003. Perkins was a standout player at Nicholls State, where she was a first-team All-Southland Conference shortstop as well as an Academic All-Conference student-athlete.