AMES, Iowa – Iowa State assistant coach Gary Hines announced his retirement Monday after more than 30 years as a softball player and coach. Hines has served as the Cyclones pitching coach since the 2006 season.
“From day one [Gary] has done everything in his power to make our program better,” Iowa State head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “Gary always represents Iowa State in the best possible way, and I’m very happy and appreciative to have worked with him here these last seven years.”
Hines’ brightest start during his tenure with the Cyclones was right-handed starting pitcher Rachel Zabriskie (2008-11). Under Hines’ tutelage, Zabriskie set school records with 171 appearances, 138 starts, 87 complete games, 884.2 innings in the circle, 815 strikeouts, 67 wins and seven saves. Zabriskie ranks in the top 10 in Big 12 history in innings pitched, appearances and strikeouts. Her 255 strikeouts in 2010 are the most in program history and her 20 wins in the same season were the most wins by a Cyclone pitcher since 1985.
In Hines’ first season with the Cyclones, the pitching staff compiled a 2.52 ERA, the lowest since 1999 and in 2008, Zabriskie (15-14) and Charissa Carlin (10-9) became the first Cyclone duo with records over .500 and at least 10 wins since 1989.
Before coming to Iowa State in 2006, Hines served as a pitching consultant for Gemeinhardt-Cesler’s Emporia State teams from 2002-05. From 2001-05 Hines also was the pitching coach for the Kansas City Fusion 18 and under team, all of his summer clubs qualifying for national tournaments.
No stranger to the Big 12 prior to his time at Iowa State, Hines was an assistant coach at Kansas from 1976-88.
