Francis Marion University softball head coach
Stacey Vallee has been named a finalist for The Leadership Playbook 2022-2023 Coach of the Year award.
The award seeks to honor coaches who maximize success, value growth, and make a positive impact on those they are entrusted to lead.
Vallee guided Francis Marion to a 42-13 record this past season, equaling the school record for wins in a season. The Patriots captured the Conference Carolinas tournament title and earned an NCAA Tournament invitation for the second consecutive year.
In her 19 seasons on the Patriot bench, Vallee has registered a 553-360-1 record, and has taken FMU to the NCAA Tournament on four occasions. In addition to her coaching duties, Vallee also serves as the university's Senior Women's Administrator, and the Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee.
TheLeadershipPlaybook.com helps athletic departments and sports teams build stronger cultures by developing better teammates and more positive leaders. As part of the online curriculum, the program has hundreds of two-minute video lessons to increase a person's leadership abilities and develop life skills.
The program was developed by Jamy Bechler, a former college basketball coach and high school athletic director. Bechler is now a professional speaker, team performance consultant, and host of the "Success is a Choice" podcast. He is also the author of five books, including The Bus Trip and The Captain.
"We're thrilled to recognize coach Vallee as an example of what a coach should be," said Bechler. "The late great Billy Graham used to say that a coach can impact more young people in one year than most people do in a lifetime, and I believe that to be true. No coach is perfect, and the job can be very demanding, but the best coaches try to make situations and other people better."
Bechler continued, "Most coaches know the X's and O's, the tactics, and strategies, but the best coaches know their athletes. The best coaches go beyond the X's and O's and know how to inspire their athletes to do their best and maximize their potential."
Deserving coaches from across the United States were nominated by their peers, administrators, teachers, student-athletes, and in some cases, even competitors from other schools.
Stacey Vallee
