AIC coach honored

Staff reports, The Republican


Judy Groff, the only softball coach American International College has ever had, was inducted last night into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.

Her induction took place as part of the association's annual convention, which opened Wednesday and runs through tomorrow.

This marks her second national honor. In 1999, she was inducted into the National Association of Girl's and Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

Groff has coached at AIC for 39 years, posting a record of 883-536-5 for a .622 winning percentage. She is one of six NCAA Division II coaches to win 800 games. She has coached longer and won more games than any other coach in the history of AIC's athletic department.

She ranks fifth on the active Division II victories list, sixth on the all-time Division II list and 23rd on the NCAA career victories list, which includes all Division I, II and III coaches.

In April of 2006, AIC rededicated its softball field in her name.

Groff has posted 30 winning seasons, including 20 of the last 24. Her teams have made it to NCAA regionals 14 times in the last 23 seasons. In five of the eight years her teams did not qualify for the regional, they participated in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament, winning it in 1986, 1988 and 1991.

AIC has won eight Northeast-10 regular season softball titles and three Northeast-10 tournaments.

Groff has served on the NCAA Regional Committee for 18 seasons and is also on the NFCA Nominating Committee.

She earned a Bachelor's Degree in physical education at West Chester University and later earned her master's in Education along with an Advanced Certificate from Springfield College. In addition to her coaching duties, Groff is the assistant director of athletics at AIC and its senior women's administrator.

From 1974-88, she compiled a 274-171 (.609) record as the head coach of the women's volleyball program at AIC, which she started on her own.