EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) will bestow its greatest honor to former SIUE softball Head Coach Sandy Montgomery next December.

The NFCA made the announcement at its annual banquet that she will be formally inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame at the 2022 NFCA Convention scheduled to be held in San Antonio, Texas. She will be joined Harvard Head Coach Jenny Allard, SIU Carbondale Head Coach Kerri Blaylock and Sheldon (Sacramento, California) High School Coach Mary Jo Truesdale.

"This is a well-deserved honor for Coach Montgomery," said SIUE Director of Athletics Tim Hall. "Coach Montgomery elevated the SIUE softball program to new heights during her tenure and for that, we will be forever grateful.  On behalf of the program and our entire department, I convey our sincere appreciation for what Coach Montgomery has done for SIUE Softball and congratulate her on this historic honor."

Montgomery retired from SIUE in 2018 after a legendary coaching and playing career at SIUE. The longest-tenured softball head coach in school history completed her coaching career with a record of 1,051-540-2 for a winning percentage of .660. She is the first softball coach in Ohio Valley Conference history to earn this honor.

The 2006 team set the school standard for victories under Montgomery with 52 and advanced to the NCAA final eight.

One year later, Montgomery led the Cougars to a national championship. The 2007 team walked off the field in Akron, Ohio, with the program's only national championship trophy and would later be inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame.

After the 2008 season, Montgomery shepherded the program through the transition from Division II to Division I. The Cougars won 40 games in their first season of Division I competition (2009) and won the OVC in 2014, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Montgomery first came to SIUE in the fall of 1981 as a student-athlete under Head Coach Cindy Jones. She was inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame as a player after setting many of the school records for pitching. While coaching all of the players who would go on to break her records, she continues to hold the record for the lowest earned run average in a career (0.85) and shutouts (42).

She also served as a Cougars associate director of athletics and helped lead the department from the NCAA Division II ranks to NCAA Division I membership in 2008. Montgomery made a lasting impact on the SIUE softball program, overseeing a major renovation of Cougar Field and the building of the Fulginiti Indoor Facility.

Montgomery's Accomplishments at SIUE

•   NCAA Division I Tournament Appearances – 2014
•   Great Lakes Regional Champions - 2006, 2007
•   NCAA-II Tournament Appearances - 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
•   Conference Titles - 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014
•   Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Titles – 2015
•   National Coaching Staff of the Year – 2007
•   Regional Coaching Staff of the Year - 2003, 2006, 2007
•   Conference Coach of the Year - 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2015 
•   11 All-Americans since 1989
•   57 All-Region players since 1989
•   79 All-Conference players since 1995
•   50-win seasons - 2002, 2006
•   40-win seasons - 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2017
•   30-win seasons - 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2013, 2014
•   14 straight 30-win seasons - 1996-2009

Montgomery's record at SIUE

*SIUE was issued two forfeits in each season.
Conference record in parentheses
#National Champions