Retired Luther softball coach Betty Hoff presented game ball from Luther softballl's 1,000th win

Betty Hoff with the game ball from Luther softball's 1,000th win

Retired Luther College softball coach Betty Hoff is an inductee of the National Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  As the head coach of the Luther softball team from 1969 through 2001, her teams amassed a record of 544-343-1.

So when the Luther softball team earned its 1,000th win in program history earlier this spring on April 3rd, there was no doubt in the mind of current softball coach Renae Hartl--who succeeded Hoff and is only the second Luther softball coach since 1969--who should receive the game ball.

Thursday at the Norse Athletic Association luncheon, Hoff was presented the ball from Luther's 8-0 victory over UW-Stevens Point.

This year marks the 48th year of Luther softball. In 47-plus years, Luther has tallied a record of 1000-505-1.

Hoff coached Luther softball to four Iowa AIAW state softball championships and to fifth place finishes for four years at AIAW National Softball Championships and one NCAA Division III Softball Championships appearance.

She is internationally known for her achievements as athletic trainer and has served on numerous NCAA softball committees and in 1986 was an athletic trainer for Goodwill Games in Moscow.

In presenting the game ball to Hoff, Hartl said she goes to conventions and people everywhere tell her, "Be sure to say hello to Betty."