Alyson Habetz - Softball Coach

Photo by: Amelia Barton

Alyson Habetz

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
ahabetz@ia.ua.edu
Phone:
205-348-3660

If Patrick Murphy has been the face of the Alabama softball program throughout its entirety, Alyson Habetz certainly has played a huge role in developing the Tide into one of the nation’s elite. Currently in her 25th season on Murphy’s staff in 2023, Habetz earned a promotion when Murphy named her associate head coach in the summer of 2007.

Habetz brings a wealth of knowledge to the Crimson Tide softball staff. She joined on Sept. 21, 1998, in the program’s third year. During her tenure, Habetz has helped lead the Tide to 13 Women’s College World Series appearances, including its first national championship in 2012, along with six SEC regular season titles and five SEC Tournament titles.

Habetz’s primary duties include outfield play and team offense. She also contributes significantly to the evaluation of recruits.

“Alyson is a great role model for our players and future recruits,” Murphy says. “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 keeps getting better and better each year.”

During her time in Tuscaloosa, Crimson Tide outfielders have consistently earned NFCA All-America accolades, including four-time All-Americans Kelly Kretschman (1998-2001), Brittany Rogers (2006-09) and Haylie McCleney (2013-16).

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 playing career. Habetz played with 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, Habetz made the trip to Cooperstown, N.Y., for the opening of a section in the National Baseball Hall of Fame recognizing the Colorado Silver Bullets team. Her good friend and favorite sports hero Tommy Lasorda was on hand for the ceremony.

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 at Notre Dame High School (in Crowley, La.) while earning all-state honors as a basketball player.

Habetz also excelled in the classroom, representing the NDHS class of 1990 as its salutatorian before earning an academic scholarship to the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana), where she had earned a basketball scholarship.

While displaying her talents as a basketball player at USL, Habetz was a member of the softball team, earning third team All-America, All-South Region, All-Louisiana and Academic All-America honors with the Ragin’ Cajuns. While at USL, she played for a staff that included Murphy, who was an assistant coach in Lafayette.

Habetz helped lead the Cajuns 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 communications in 1995.

Habetz was a 2006 inductee into the Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She also is enshrined in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Sports Hall of Fame, where she was inducted in 2003.