Alyson Habetz
5/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Alyson Habetz
Associate Head Coach
ahabetz@ia.ua.edu
If Patrick Murphy has been the face of the Alabama softball program throughout its entirety, Alyson Habetz has certainly played a huge role of her own in developing the Tide into one of the nation's elite. Entering her ninth season as Murphy's assistant, Habetz earned a promotion of her own when Murphy named her Associate Head Coach in the summer of 2007.
Entering her ninth season as a Crimson Tide assistant, Habetz brings a wealth of softball and baseball knowledge to the Tide staff. She joined the program on Sept. 21, 1998, in the program's second year. During her tenure, she has helped Murphy lead the Tide to four College World Series appearances and an SEC title.
Habetz's primary duties include outfield play, team offense and helping to run camps and clinics. She also contributes significantly to the evaluation of recruits.
"Alyson is a great role model for our players and future recruits," Murphy said. "She is one of the most outstanding people I have met. She was a dream to coach and she is even better to coach with. I think she's the best assistant coach in the country. She has turned down several head coaching jobs already and she just keeps getting better and better each year."
Habetz began her stint at Alabama following a four-year career in women's professional baseball. She joined the pitching rotation with the Colorado Silver Bullets women's professional baseball team in 1995 following her collegiate player career. She played for the Silver Bullets for three years before joining the Long Beach Aces of the now defunct women's professional baseball league as a first baseman and pitcher in 1998.
After her first season with the Silver Bullets, she made the trip to Cooperstown, N.Y., where they opened up a section in the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the Colorado Silver Bullets team alongside her good friend and favorite sports hero Tommy Lasorda.
After spending two years fighting the issue in the state courts, Habetz became the first female in the state of Louisiana to play high school baseball, garnering All-District honors as a first baseman and pitcher while earning All-District, All-Parish and All-State honors as a basketball player.
Habetz also excelled in the classroom representing her senior class of 1990 as its salutatorian and earning an academic scholarship to the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) where she had also earned a basketball scholarship.
While displaying her talents as a basketball player at USL, Habetz was also a member of the softball team, earning Third team All-American, All-South Region, All-Louisiana and Academic All-American honors with the Ragin' Cajuns. While at USL, Habetz played under Murphy, who was an assistant coach in Lafayette.
She helped lead her team to an appearance in the 1993 Women's College World Series. As a member of the basketball team, Habetz etched her name in the record books, settling in at No. 7 all-time on the career scoring list en route to earning membership in the 1,000-point club. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication in 1995.
In 2006, she was inducted into the Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She is also enshrined in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Sports Hall of Fame as she was inducted in 2003.
The youngest of eight children, Alyson was born December 17, 1971.
THE HABETZ FILE
Years Playing/Coaching Experience
1998-Present The University of Alabama
Assistant Coach
1995-98 Professional Baseball
Colorado Silver Bullets (1995-1997)
Long Beach Aces (1998)
1990-95 University of Southwestern Louisiana
Four-year lettermen in softball,
basketball
All-South Region Softball Player
Third team All-American (Softball)
Academic All-American
Member of 1993 Women's CWS team
Member of basketball's 1000-point club
Seventh all-time on basketball
scoring list
1986-90 Notre Dame High School (Crowley, La.)
All-District baseball player (1B & P)
