The Lady Demon softball coach is certainly easy to get to know, and he's never going to be described as fast-talking unless an umpire is involved.
But he is driven. He has big ambitions. He has a plan in motion to quickly restore Northwestern State softball to prominence and championship-level success.
He knows what it takes. He hired assistant coaches who have been there, too.
Their approach took root last season and especially in recruiting, where their efforts resulted in the best turnaround in Divisoin I softball last season.
The plan is in action. Facility improvements are tangible. A solid approach to coaching, teaching and managing the program is clear to see. To see where Pickett plans to take NSU, you need only see where he's already been as an assistant coach.
Pickett helped Tennessee-Chattanooga to three NCAA Tournament appearances and the brink of a Women's College World Series berth while on the Mocs' staff.
The 33-year-old Pickett begins his 14th season of collegiate coaching experience. He spent two years helping establish a brand-new program at Memphis after working in a pair of highly successful programs at UT-Chattanooga and Chattanooga State Community College. At Chattanooga State, Pickett was part of a staff that coached the team to three top-five finishes in the junior college softball world series along with three regional and conference championships.
He also has coached the Austin (Tenn.) Eagles American Softball Association summer team to four national tournament appearances and two top-five finishes in the ASA nationals.
Pickett learned about the Northwestern coaching post from Pat Murphy, the coach of College World Series participant Alabama, who was among several nationally-prominent coaches during the summer 2008 search for a new Lady Demons head coach.
“Starting with his high level of character and integrity, Donald Pickett has an amazing reputation in the collegiate softball world. He will serve as a good role model for our student-athletes while also providing them with the motivation and coaching needed to return Northwestern State to the point of challenging for Southland Conference titles and NCAA postseason berths,” said NSU director of athletics Greg Burke, announcing Pickett's hiring.
Working for five seasons under coach Frank Reed at UTC, Pickett helped the Mocs advance within one win of the World Series. The Mocs had an overall 210-126 record while picking up three Southern Conference championships before Pickett joined coach Wendy Thees at Memphis following the first year of softball for the Tigers.
Also serving as assistant to Reed at Chattanooga State CC for three seasons, Pickett helped post a 151-27 record, including a 62-3 mark in 2001. A year earlier, Pickett was part of the National Fastpitch Coaching Staff of the Year, and in 2002, Pickett was among the Chattanooga State team that was inducted into the Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame.
A 2005 UTC graduate, Pickett is regarded as an excellent recruiter whose expertise coaching hitting and defense is recognized nationally.
Coaching and administrative colleagues of Pickett's were effusive in their praise.
“Donald is ready to be a head coach,” said Thees. “His softball knowledge is incredible and he does a great job of getting to know his players and recruits.”
Said Lynn Parkes, the senior woman administrator at Memphis: “Donald Pickett is a man of character and integrity. He loves the game of softball and loves working with young people. I think he will do a fantastic job.”
In Pickett's first season as assistant coach at his alma mater, the 2001 Lady Mocs opened the season with back-to-back no-hitters and knocked off top-25 teams in Ohio State and Baylor, rolling to a 44-15 record while never dropping more than two games in a row. The Lady Mocs posted two upset wins over top-seeded and No. 12 ranked Florida Atlantic in the NCAA Regionals. UTC then just missed capturing a berth in the World Series after narrow losses to Georgia Tech and Florida State.
“There may not be a better fundamental coach out there,” said UTC's Reed. “He is a good person, the type of person your family would like to be associated with, and he is perhaps one of the most 'up and coming' young coaches out there right now.”
A strong reference came from an in-state rival of UTC's, head coach Torey Acheson at Tennessee Tech.
“At Tennessee-Chattanooga, those players all became better under him......technically, his knowledge base is really good....he is an upstanding human being; he was raised right.”
Said Laura Mincy, assistant athletic director and SWA at UTC: “Donald is very determined and passionate about college softball. He's a gem.”
