Central College Women's Softball

COACHING RESUME 1985-present (Central College) Head coach ATHLETICS CAREER 2007 - National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame 2022 - Pleasantville High School Hall of Fame EDUCATION Central College B.S., 1976 Iowa State University M.A., counseling, 1987 HOMETOWN Pleasantville, Iowa George Wares is the winningest softball coach in NCAA Division III history. In 41 seasons as Central College head coach starting in 1985, Wares has compiled a 1291-463-3 record (.735), including a 101-67 postseason mark. He became the first Division III coach to record 1,000 wins on April 8, 2014 and has guided the Dutch to a record 33 NCAA Division III tournament berths. In 2007, Wares was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame. Wares piloted the Dutch to national championships in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 2003 with national runner-up finishes in 1986 and 2001. His 33 NCAA playoff teams have finished in the national top eight 13 times, with 15 regional tournament titles, including 2024. The Dutch were third in the NCAA in 1990, 1994 and 1995, fourth in 1987 and 1989, fifth in 1997 and tied for seventh in 2013. They advanced to the NCAA Super Regional in 2015 and 2024. Central captured the 2024 American Rivers championship, the 14th conference crown the Dutch have won or shared (1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2024). Wares and his assistants were named the NFCA Division III coaching staff of the year in 2003, after taking regional honors in 2001. Wares and his staff have won or shared the conference coach of the year award 10 times (1990, 1993, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2019, 2024). Wares served a three-year term as Midwest Region Representative on the NCAA Division III Softball Championships Committee (2017-19). He previously spent three years as a member of the NCAA Division III Midwest Region Advisory Committee, which he later chaired, and also served on the NCAA Softball Rules Committee. He's currently a member of the NCAA Division III Region IX Advisory Committee. Wares is also active within the NFCA. He served two terms as the Division III representative on the NFCA Board of Directors and served two three-year terms on the NFCA Division III All-America Selection Committee, including two years as chair. Also a former NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year Committee member, Wares spent six years (2014-19) as the Midwest Region representative of the NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll Committee. He was a co-instructor at the 2017 NFCA Convention in Las Vegas and was the only non-Division I coach to serve as a featured speaker at the 2018 NFCA Coaches Clinic in Minneapolis. A 1976 Central graduate, Wares spent seven years as girls softball coach at NESCO High School in Zearing, Iowa, posting a 214-94 record and piloting three squads to state tournament berths. He was named all-area coach of the year three times. Wares also served as a high school boys basketball coach for 18 years, including seven at NESCO and 11 at Pella High School . He compiled a 259-106 career record, earning four state tournament berths, with two state runner-up finishes. He served for four seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach at Central. A highly regarded motivational speaker, Wares received a master's degree in counseling from Iowa State University. He worked as an at-risk counselor at Pella High School and as an academic counselor at Central. He is the husband of associate head coach Alicia O'Brien. Coach George Wares year-by-year Year Record Conf. record Conf. finish NCAA finish 1985 19-14 7-5 4th 1986 35-20-1 11-3 tie, 1st 2nd, national 1987 33-10 11-3 2nd 4th, national 1988 35-10 11-4 tie, 3rd 1st, national 1989 36-11 12-4 2nd 4th, national 1990 32-15 14-2 1st 3rd, national 1991 42-6 15-1 1st 1st, national 1992 31-11 12-3 tie, 2nd 3rd, regional 1993 38-2 14-0 1st 1st, national 1994 35-14 11-5 tie, 3rd 3rd, national 1995 35-13 13-3 2nd 3rd, national 1996 39-15 13-3 tie, 1st 2nd, regional 1997 35-12 11-3 2nd 5th, national 1998 30-15 14-4 2nd 2nd, regional 1999 34-11-1 16-4 2nd 3rd, regional 2000 40-10 17-3 1st, tie 3rd, regional 2001 41-10 16-4 2nd 2nd, national 2002 36-5 16-2 1st 3rd, regional 2003 41-5-1 14-2-1 1st 1st, national 2004 35-9 13-3 1st 2nd, regional 2005 28-12 12-4 3rd 2006 33-13 12-4 3rd 4th, regional 2007 27-13 9-7 5th 2008 24-16 8-8 5th 2009 36-8 13-3 1st 7th, regional 2010 30-14 12-4 3rd 7th, regional 2011 39-9 14-2 tie, 1st 2nd, regional 2012 36-10 12-4 2nd 4th, regional 2013 32-10 12-2 tie, 1st 2nd, regional 2014 30-12 10-4 tie, 2nd 4th, regional 2015 34-12 9-3 2nd 2nd, super regional 2016 23-15 8-6 4th 2017 32-10 13-3 2nd 4th, regional 2018 29-12 12-4 2nd 2nd, regional 2019 27-10 12-4 1st 3rd, regional 2020* 6-1 No NCAA tournament 2021 20-14 15-9 3rd No NCAA tournament 2022 21-17     7-9 tie, 7th 2023 33-11 11-5 3rd 2nd, regional 2024 33-13 13-3 1st 2nd, super regional  2025 26-13 9-7 4th 4th, regional Total 1,291-463-3 484-156-1 14 titles 33 NCAA  berths NCAA Division III Championships participants in bold *2020 season ended March 8 due to global pandemic

COACHING RESUME 2007-present (Central College) Associate head coach 1989-2006 (Western Connecticut State Univ.) Head coach ATHLETICS CAREER EDUCATION Western Connecticut State University B.S., Western Connecticut State University M.S., counseling HOMETOWN Danbury, Connecticut. After 18 seasons as a highly successful head coach at Western Connecticut State University, Alicia O’Brien joined the Dutch softball staff as associate head coach in 2006. She also serves as senior associate athletics director, Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Equity in Athletics, athletics department  senior woman administrator and athletics department compliance officer. At Western Connecticut State O’Brien posted a 423-213-3 (.664) softball record, guiding the Colonials to eight NCAA Division III tournament berths. She piloted Western Connecticut State to the NCAA finals in 2002 and her teams posted 20 or more wins 13 straight seasons, capturing Little East Conference championships three times since 2001. She served as the school’s associate athletics director and senior woman administrator as well. O’Brien has helped Central compile a 538-220 (.710) mark and 11 NCAA Division III tournament berths over 19 seasons for a combined 961-433-3 (.689) career mark. She received the Easton Victory Club Award for her 900th win at the 2023 NFCA convention. A Western Connecticut State University graduate and two-sport team captain, O'Brien also earned a master's degree there in counseling. She served on the school's Hall of Fame Committee and was a member of its Wellness Initiative. She served a five-year term as a Title IX consultant with the Danbury, Conn. school system. The long-time director of the Western Connecticut Softball Camp, O'Brien was also an NFCA Division III Regional All-America Committee member. In 2001 she was inducted into the Connecticut Softball Hall of Fame, the Danbury (Conn.) High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, the Western Connecticut State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Little East Conference Hall of Fame in 2014. O’Brien is the wife of Dutch head coach George Wares.