Melyssa Lombardi Position: Associate Head Coach Alma Mater: Oklahoma, 1997

As a catcher for Oklahoma in 1995-1996, Melyssa Lombardi helped direct the Sooner pitchers to new heights. Now in her 11th season as a full-time assistant coach, Lombardi continues to guide the Sooner pitchers and catchers to even greater accomplishments.

Lombardi was promoted to Associate Head Coach in July of 2007 after assisting the Sooners to a 55-8 overall record during the 2007 season and developing OU's first Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. Lauren Eckermann also earned All-America honors and tied the school record for most wins in a season with 37.

"The title of associate head coach is a testament to the commitment, loyalty and dedication Coach Lombardi has shown for the Oklahoma program," Sooner head coach Patty Gasso said. "She has had many opportunities to go other places, but her heart and soul has always been invested in Oklahoma. She is a huge part of our consistent success by her efforts on the field as well as in recruiting and in the office. We would like to see Coach Lombardi at Oklahoma for a very long time."

Drawing from her playing days as a catcher for the Sooners, Lombardi has been able to lend her valuable experiences in tutoring the Oklahoma catchers and pitchers. During Lombardi's tenure, the Sooners won the 2000 National Championship and have won seven NCAA Regional Championships in 10 postseason appearances. In addition the Sooners have claimed two Big 12 regular season titles (1999, 2000) and two conference tournament championships (2001, 2007).

A former all-conference catcher for the Sooners, Lombardi has also coached the Oklahoma battery to a combined nine All-America honors, 14 All-Region accolades and 20 All-Big 12 selections during her time in Norman.

Lombardi guided catcher Heather Scaglione to two straight All-America first team honors in 2004 and 2005. The only two-time first team All-American in school history was also named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year in those same years. Scaglione remains the only player in Big 12 history to receive the honor twice.

In 2004, Lombardi may have had her biggest challenge since joining the OU staff. The pitching coach had to hold together a staff that was missing its No. 1 and No. 2 pitcher for a combined total of 51 games. Despite the shortage of arms, the Sooners were the third best staff (in terms of ERA) in the Big 12. Lombardi's protégé Kami Keiter turned it up another notch during the postseason when she garnered All-Big 12 Tournament and Region I Championship MVP honors.

In 2003, Lombardi guided Keiter out of the shadows of Sooner great Jennifer Stewart and into stardom. In just her second collegiate season, Keiter led the Big 12 in wins (47) and was ranked in the NCAA top 15 in two pitching categories. The Sooner pitching staff combined for an ERA of 1.40, which ranked as the 18th best in the NCAA.

In her first year on the coaching staff as a student assistant in 1997, the OU pitching staff produced one of the lowest earned run averages in school history and in the country. The staff finished with a 1.14 ERA to rank seventh in the nation. The Sooners' pitching performances continued to rank among the nation's elite in 1998 and 1999 and the Sooners' improvement culminated in 2000 with a national championship.

In the national championship season, the team registered a 1.44 ERA which was good enough for second in the Big 12 and ranked 25th nationally. The staff posted 24 shutouts and its best strikeout total in three years with 301.

Lombardi helped guide the one-two punch of Lana Moran and Jennifer Stewart that year. Moran went 26-2 and led the Big 12 with a 1.28 ERA. Stewart was a third team All-America selection and the MVP of the Women's College World Series. Lombardi also helped catcher Ashli Barrett reach new heights as the junior was named a first team All-American.

The Glendale, Ariz., native ended her two-year playing career with the Sooners with a spectacular senior season in 1996. Her team-leading .345 batting average was a key factor during OU's Big 12 Conference Championship run that year.

She was also instrumental in helping Jill Most and Jennifer Jaime record two of the best pitching seasons in school history. Lombardi caught all three of Most's wins in OU's conference tournament games and was named to the all-tournament team after going 3-for-8 (.375) at the plate with four RBI, two runs scored, a triple and a stolen base.

Lombardi graduated from OU in 1997 with a degree in health and sports science. The former Melyssa Panzer married John Lombardi on Nov. 10, 2000.