Saturday, November 3, 2012
MONMOUTH, Ore. - Lonny Sargent, who spent the past three seasons as the head softball coach at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Ore., has been tabbed to be the next head coach for the Western Oregon University softball program, interim Athletic Director Jon Carey announced this week.
Sargent, who has 20 years of coaching experience, has a career collegiate record of 206-165.
“Lonny (Sargent) has experienced success at a variety of levels, which helps make him the perfect fit to lead the Western Oregon softball program,” Carey said. “He has strong ties to the area and the region and will do a terrific job of giving our softball student-athletes a quality collegiate experience while continuing the excellent tradition of the program.”
While at Reynolds, Sargent helped lead a turnaround that has seen the school average more than 10 wins per year after only one win prior to Sargent’s arrival. Sargent has helped increase the team batting average by nearly 80 points to .331 while reducing error totals in half and has overseen numerous facility improvements by increasing community engagement and involvement.
Prior to joining Reynolds High School, Sargent spent two seasons as the head softball coach at Utah State. While with the Aggies, Sargent helped lead the team to 23 wins during the 2005 season, the most for the program since the 1996 season. Sargent joined the Aggies staff as an assistant coach in 2004 after serving as an assistant coach at Troy for one season.
Before working at Troy, Sargent spent six seasons as the head coach at Mt. Hood Community College. While at Mt. Hood, Sargent's teams compiled an overall record of 175-98 (.641 winning percentage) and earned six trips to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) Championship.
Sargent also served as a co-head coach and an assistant coach at Warner Pacific College, his alma mater, for four seasons. In 1992, Sargent helped lead the Knights to the league championship.
In addition to his collegiate experience, Sargent has also held head coaching positions at Sunset High School in Beaverton, Ore., and at Sherwood (Ore.) High School.
Sargent also has extensive experience running softball camps and clinics. He is currently the owner of Complete Player, a softball clinic based in Portland, Ore., that hosts a “complete-player” winter softball camp that brings college coaches from around the country into Portland to work with student-athletes in the northwest softball community. The organization also focuses on private and group skill instruction to over 30 area athletes.
Sargent earned his bachelor’s degree in human development from Warner Pacific College and has two children, Brock, who attends Northwest Nazarene University, and McKenzie, who is currently a student at WOU. He currently resides in Gresham, Ore., with his fiancée, Erin.