Softball

Beth McClendon
Beth McClendon

Position:
First Assistant Coach
Experience:
Third Season at UH
Alma Mater:
University of Florida 2000

Beth McClendon begins her third year on the softball staff where she concentrates on coaching the Cougar pitchers. Last season her work with the team's pitching staff saw Houston turn in the third-best earned run average in Conference USA at 1.84. They recorded a school-record 13 shutouts and posted the second highest strikeout total in C-USA with 371, a mark that also set a school record in the category.

McClendon came to Houston from Stetson University where she was an assistant coach for two seasons. In 2001, she helped coach Stetson to an Atlantic Sun Conference regular season Tri-Championship, and in 2002, Stetson received national poll votes for the first time in school history. McClendon's pitching staff boasted a 1.15 ERA, which ranked 11th overall in NCAA Division I, including a nation-leading ERA from April 7-21 of 2002. As a whole, her pitchers set school records for wins (45), shutouts (20), strikeouts (385), strikeouts per 7 innings (6.70) and strikeouts in one game (16). Her squad also set the school marks for the longest winning streak (28) and winning percentage (.763).

Since arriving at Houston in 2003, her pitching crew has received two All-Conference USA citations, two All-Freshman honors and one C-USA All-Tournament nod. The pitchers have also set 16 school records and in 2004, pitcher Jenny Johnson led the nation with an NCAA-best 10 saves on the year.

McClendon earned a bachelor's degree in health sciences, in occupational therapy from the University of Florida in 2000. She was also a four-year letterwinner in softball, playing under Houston head coach Kyla Holas, who served as the Gators' pitching coach at the time.

During her career at Florida, she posted a career record of 60-43, with a 2.41 ERA in over 716 innings of work. She was a member of the 1998 Southeastern Conference regular season championship team, and as Florida's No. 1 pitcher, she posted 20-win seasons her last two years. McClendon helped lead the Gators to the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2000, where they finished with a No. 20 national ranking. In addition, McClendon still holds Florida and SEC career records in several pitching categories, including career wins and innings pitched.

As a student-athlete, McClendon excelled in the classroom where she received numerous academic awards. She was an NFCA Scholar-Athlete (1997-2000), a member of the All-SEC Academic Team (1998-2000), a GTE Academic Third-Team All-American (2000), a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week and recipient of the SEC's H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar Athlete Award.

She is married to Matt McClendon, who formerly pitched in the Atlanta Braves organization, in December 2000. Matt is a law student at Texas and the couple now resides in Pearland, Texas.

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