New Texas Tech Asst Coach Letty Olivarez Goes 7 Innings with FPN
On August 31st, Texas Tech’s Head Coach Adrian Gregory announced the hire of Letty Olivarez as new pitching coach. Olivarez joins Tech after a two year stay at San Jose State where she developed the pitching staff, helped San Jose State win the Mountain West title in 2017, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
Olivarez was a standout pitcher at Wisconsin (2007-2010). Everywhere Olivarez has landed, she has improved the pitching staff. Her next opportunity comes with Red Raiders where she will work with sophomore Erin Edmoundson. The Red Raiders will have some news faces in the circle with DePaul transfer and All-Big East First Team pitcher, Missy Zoch, as well as freshmen Brooke Blackwell of Grandview, Texas, and Morgan Hornback from Oregon City, Oregon.
Recently Olivarez talked to Fastpitch News about her move to Texas Tech and what led her into coaching following her playing career on latest edition of “ 7 Innings.”
Eric Lopez (ELO)– What attracted you to come Texas Tech and join Coach Gregory staff?
Letty Olivarez– Initially, I was attracted to Texas Tech after Sam Marder brought it to my attention that they were looking for a pitching coach. Sam and I played travel ball together and having the opportunity to work with a friend is always refreshing. However, I made the decision to move to Lubbock once Coach Gregory said she needed someone to help them take their pitchers to a higher level and get them to compete at the top of the conference. I always want to work with a staff that wants to be at the top.
ELO– What has it been like so far working with pitching staff you have inherited led by sophomore Erin Edmoundson?
Letty – The pitching staff has been a great pleasure! The best part is that the girls want to learn and they take their time in the bullpen seriously. They are all amazing young women and just a joy to be around. They make my job easy.
ELO– You have been successful at all your stops. What is the biggest key to coaching a pitching staff and your philosophy as you coach?
Letty – The biggest key is relating to your pitchers and getting them to trust you. I am so invested in my pitchers and I try my best to show them that I live and die with them on every pitch. If I can keep my pitchers mentally healthy and keep them loving what they do then the rest comes easy.
ELO– What got you interested in going into coaching after your playing career at Wisconsin? What coaches have influenced you in your coaching style?
Letty– Honestly, I had never thought about coaching before volunteering at Stanford, like never! Coaching kind of fell in to my lap when John Rittman took me on as a volunteer at Stanford as just someone to throw BP. I really fell in love with the game all over again but from a coaching angle. Rittman allowed me to do way more than just throw BP. He let me have input with the game lineups and he let me coach on the base path. Rittman taught me early about being a coach at a high level and how to be professional. He definitely gave me experience that not many people get as an assistant coach, let alone as a volunteer. My coaching style does keep evolving and all coaches I have worked with in my career have influenced my coaching style in one way or another, including my coaches at Wisconsin.
ELO– Describe the experience of being Co-Head Coach at ASU in 2016 and what you learn from that experience?
Letty– Being Co-Head Coach at ASU was an unforgettable experience. It’s what makes me want to be a head coach more than ever before. It definitely was a challenge as Robert Wagner and I had to learn each other while still successfully running a team in the PAC together but in the end I would not take it back for the world. Wagner is a great coach and it was nice being able to share that experience with someone who really loved the game and it definitely brought us closer. The ASU girls were a great group to work with and they taught me a lot about myself and who I want to be as a head coach. I learned that Coaching is a position of service and not of power and that It is my passion to help young women become self-compassionate and see them build self-confidence while competing on and off the field.
ELO– How would Olivarez the All-Big Ten pitcher at Wisconsin and Coach O have gotten along? How are you different or the same as a player vs a coach?
Letty– We would have gotten along PERFECTLY! I am a players coach for many reasons but mainly because I want my athletes to have no regrets. I want them to truly enjoy their collegiate experience and I want them to grow as much as possible and find their true self. Every time I talk to any of my players I think about what I wanted to hear when I was in their shoes and mix that with what I needed to hear when I was in their shoes. It’s finding a perfect mix of guidance and fun. I try to be what I felt I missed out on. Someone who truly cared enough about me as an athlete to push me to be my best but loved me enough as a person to ensure my mental, physical, and spiritual well-being were at its best.
ELO– What are going to be some of the keys for your staff at Tech to make improvements similar to what your staff at San Jose State did which helped lead them to immediate success and a conference championship. What will be the keys to success?
Letty– I try to bring a relaxed but fun energy with me wherever I go. If I can truly make the staff enjoy their time on and off the field and not take things too seriously everything else will fall in line. Sometimes coaches need to be reminded that softball needs to be treated as a game not a job and good things will happen. It’s weird. I guess it all comes down to doing less is really more. Less work, less stress. More fun, more energy. If I can get coach G and Sam to remember how it was when they were 12-14 yrs old then my job here is done. We will win!
