Elaine Sortino was one of the nation’s most successful collegiate softball coaches, helping guide 28 All-Americans, 13 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year selections, 17 Atlantic 10 Pitchers of the Year, eight Atlantic-10 Rookies of the Year and 120 All-Conference selections.
She had a pivotal role in putting the University of Massachusetts on the national map. At the time of her passing, she was one of five coaches to accumulate 1,100 wins and concluded the 2013 season third among active Division I head coaches and the eighth in history to reach that plateau. Sortino led UMass to 23 Atlantic 10 Conference titles, 21 NCAA regional appearances and three trips to the NCAA College World Series. The Minutewomen also made their first trip to the Super Regionals in 2006.
An 11-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Sortino and her staff were also recognized as the Division I Speedline/NFCA Northeast Coaching Staff of the Year on six different occasions, most recently in 2009. Sortino was named to the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2004.
In addition to her duties as the head softball coach at UMass, Sortino was the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Programs and Student Services as well as the Senior Women's Administrator. She oversaw and coordinated numerous national level sporting events, including the 1995 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships, the 1998 Men's Gymnastics East Regional and the 2003 NCAA Field Hockey National Championship. Most recently, in 2013, Sortino was inducted into the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame for her career accomplishments.
A 1971 graduate of SUNY Oneonta, Sortino was a three-sport athlete, participating in volleyball, basketball and softball. She was part of the college'