Kelly Inouye-Perez became the winningest coach in UCLA softball history when the No. 9 Bruins beat No. 4 Florida 15-12 on Friday night at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California, pushing her former mentor and Hall of Famer Sue Enquist for her 888th career victory.
In fact, it was Enquist who crowned her.
Literally.
Enquist was part of the postgame celebration and stepped forward to present Inouye-Perez with a crown that had blue gemstones matching the UCLA uniforms the players wore in the victory. Inouye-Perez became emotional as he explained how much it meant to continue a proud UCLA legacy.
Only three women have coached the winningest softball program in Division I history: Inouye-Perez played for the other two, Sharron Backus and Enquist, during her playing career at UCLA. They each have over 800 wins and are responsible for UCLA's 2,226 wins and 13 national championships.
In a phone call with ESPN after the win, Inouye-Perez deflected the praise and made sure to also give credit to her assistant and best friend Lisa Fernandez. The two played together at UCLA and have been side by side since Inouye-Perez became head coach in 2007.
“When we talk about the Bruin family, it's real, and all I'm trying to do is maintain this tradition of excellence for all those who built this historic program,” Inouye-Perez said. “There is no other program that has lasted more than six decades like UCLA softball, and Lisa and I are doing everything we can to do that.”
Inouye-Perez, in her 20th season as UCLA head coach, came to Westwood in 1989 as a catcher. She would eventually win three national championships as a player. Her coaching career began as an assistant at UCLA under Enquist immediately after her playing career ended.
This season marks her 38th consecutive year with UCLA softball. She remains the only person in Division I history to win a national championship as a player and coach.
