Former Wildcat All-American pitcher and 2007 Women's College World Series MVP Taryne Mowatt has rejoined the program as pitching coach.
Meanwhile, Stacy Iveson has chosen to move into an administrative role and lead Arizona's recruiting and operations efforts.
"Stacy came to me and wanted to move into more of an administrative role," said Candrea. "She wanted to help this team more than on the field, especially in recruiting. This gives her a chance to spend a little more time with her son, which is good. She did an evaluation of the needs of our program and I thought it was big of her to see the big picture. I'm very excited that she'll still be a part of this.
"So the next decision was to replace her on the field with a pitching coach," said Candrea. "After a search, it was a foregone conclusion that Taryne Mowatt was very qualified and ready to come back and lead the pitchers. I think she'll bring great energy and passion for the program and a face that the kids we're recruiting can still relate to. With Taryne and Caitlin (Lowe), who both played here, I think we've got something really special."
Mowatt joins the Wildcat staff after two years in the same role at Ole Miss. Mowatt helped lead the charge in the turnaround of the Rebels' program. After inheriting a staff with a 4.30 ERA in 2015, she lowered the 2016 Rebels' ERA to 3.26 and then to 2.10 in 2017. That improvement helped Ole Miss produce its most successful season in school history. The Rebels won 43 games and hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time in school history. Mowatt and the staff were awarded NFCA Division I Regional Coaching Staff of the Year Award.
"Taryne is a fierce competitor," said Candrea. "She pitched with a chip on her shoulder. She's the type of coach that will develop our pitchers to be the same competitive athlete that she was. She's gained great experience the last three years in the SEC facing good competition each every week, which will help her in the Pac-12. She has a great vision on what needs to be done, now it's about getting the kids to buy in to the approach that it takes to get things done. I'm thrilled to have her. She's a hard worker and has matured a lot since I had her as a player. She's got a passion for coaching."
As a player at Arizona, Mowatt helped lead the Wildcats to back-to-back national titles in 2006 and '07, the latter of which saw the junior pitcher put together one of the most amazing weeks the sport has ever seen. Mowatt earned MVP honors after setting WCWS records in innings pitched (60), strikeouts (76) and complete games (8), while leading the Wildcats' to their eighth NCAA Championship. She later won a pair of ESPYs for her performance.
"I am excited to be back home at Arizona," said Mowatt. "I had an amazing time during my playing days in Tucson and look forward to working with the pitchers to get back to Oklahoma City."
Mowatt won exactly 100 games in her UA career. Her 100-33 career record ranks seventh in UA history, while her 1,267 strikeouts are second. Her 42 victories and 522 strikeouts in 2007 remain Pac-12 records. In all, Mowatt posted a 1.54 ERA over 147 appearances as a Wildcat.
After 12 years in two separate stints on UA's coaching staff, Iveson decided to move into a new role and head the Wildcats' recruiting and operations efforts moving forward. Iveson will focus on coordinating the recruiting efforts as a staff including correspondence, official and unofficial visit planning as well as organizing and managing institutional camps and clinics. Iveson will still have a presence with the team helping it prepare for opponents with video analysis before competition and statistical charting during practice and games.
"Stacy has been a tremendous contributor to Arizona softball as a player and a coach," said Candrea. "As a player she was very well prepared got the most out of her talent. As a coach she's had the same approach. Whatever she's been asked to do she does it at the highest level. It's just a choice in her life to take a different role. I think this will be a very important role especially in this new age of recruiting. There's a tremendous amount of value that she will still bring to this program. I appreciate her ability to step back and evaluate honestly the needs of where were at and what we need to go forward."
Iveson, who played under Candrea from 1986-89, helped lead UA to National Championships in 1996, '97 and 2001, and has been in the dugout or on the field for more than 800 Wildcat victories. Iveson served as Arizona's pitching coach the last three seasons and, under her guidance, the Wildcats had one of the nation's top pitching staffs in each of the last two seasons. In 2017, Iveson and the UA coaching staff was named NFCA Division I Regional Coaching Staff of the Year.
"I am really looking forward to stepping into an administrative role and coordinating our recruiting efforts as a staff," said Iveson. I have a great passion for Arizona softball and am thrilled to be able to continue to be a part of the program."
