UAB Softball: Get to Know Joe

BIRMINGHAM – When UAB softball went searching for a new head coach, they didn’t need to look very far. Joe Guthrie had just been named Associate Head Coach to begin the 2020 season and his knowledge of the program and the game made him the perfect fit to take the helm as the fourth head coach of the Blazers. UABSports.com spent some time talking with Coach Guthrie about his background, his path to coaching and how he likes to spend his free time. 

Where are you from originally?  

JG: “I’m originally from Tuscaloosa and have lived in Alabama for most of my life but I have also lived all over the country since college. In the military I spent time in Iraq, Georgia (the state), Washington. I’ve also coached in Florida, Washington, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Alabama. Alabama is definitely home, and that is a big reason why I am where I am right now. I am very happy to be doing what I love at a great school while being close to family and friends.” 

You started in baseball? Did you play in college? How did that get you into coaching? 

JG: “I was an outfielder at Alabama in college, my junior year I got hurt and I felt like something was telling me to walk away from my playing days and finish my degree. A week later I got an offer to coach baseball at a high school in Tuscaloosa and that was my first real experience. After that I went into the military and when I got back from serving, I went back to coaching high school baseball and working as a professional baseball scout for the Marlins organization.” 

When did you transition to the softball side? Why?  

JG: “I was working as a scout for the Marlins in the Tampa area in 2007 and I heard through a friend they were going to start a softball program at Marion Military Institute. At the time I was looking to move my family closer to home. I had a business on the side with hitters where I worked with both baseball and softball players, which was my first real introduction to working with softball. When the opening happened at Marion, I actually interviewed for the baseball job, I didn’t get that, but interview went well enough that the president called me two days later and asked me about the softball job. The opportunity to start a program from scratch was a challenge but it was a really successful run and became one of the best stops in my coaching career.” 

What is your philosophy as a coach?  

JG: “I don’t really use the term philosophy; I like to use the word precision. We try to be very direct with our athletes and make sure they understand what they need to improve on and what they do well. If you had to put it into a phrase, I would say player development. That means using our core values to shape their ability on the field and also their lives off the field. Our core values are integrity, discipline, gratitude and accountability. Ultimately, we are trying to make them better humans. That is the fun part of our job as coaches. If we do our jobs right and bring in the right individuals, then the championships will follow with that.” 

How have you been adjusting to this “new normal” and what have you been doing to keep the team engaged and in the right mentality at this time? 

JG: “We have done some pretty unique things over the spring and into the summer as a team. After the season was canceled, we got together as a staff and looked at where we were deficient and what we could use to be creative during that time to work on those areas. What we came up with was a softball IQ test inspired by one of my good friends, Gregg Ritchie the head baseball coach at George Washington. The girls competed against themselves and each other with the idea of increasing our knowledge of the game especially relative to situations. Besides that, we have had some zoom calls as a team and the freshmen have been able to sit in on those which is nice because you don’t normally get a lot of team time with them before they show up in the summer. Even though things are tough right now there are things to look forward to and we have to take advantage of those the best we can right now.”  

The team looked to be trending in the right direction last season, how do you keep that momentum going and continue to build on what you started the last two seasons? 

JG: “I think we were absolutely trending in the right direction. Our goal when we got here was to put in the culture and going into year two, we thought we would have the culture and the type of athlete to trend in the direction where we were winning. This is the year where we feel like we have the personnel and mindset to win a conference championship. We have 27 girls on the roster, we have a lot of talent and the girls who are returning are more talented than they were a season ago. I feel like we have a great staff in place to teach and develop them. I think once we are able to get going in person we will actually be more prepared because of all of the virtual stuff we have been able to do, we have been able to cover some things that we might not have even been able to cover before and we have taken full advantage of that. The team is really positive and excited, even with everything going on.” 

What are you most looking forward to this season? 

JG: “The first thing I am looking forward to and I know the team is looking forward to is just being together. We are going to celebrate just being together. In the long-term, I am looking forward to seeing what this group can do. They are a great group of young women; we wouldn’t set the bar so high if we didn’t think they could reach it.” 

What is your favorite thing to do in your down time?  

JG: “You have to have an outlet when you’re coaching because it can be really easy to be consumed by the job. It’s something I have learned more later in life because I used to not make that time when I was younger. My wife (assistant coach Courtnay Foster) and I love to take trips to aquariums and museums. I love history so I love to read and learn about history. I’m also a big movie guy, I haven’t done that as much lately because I don’t want to get too sucked into Netflix because I’m afraid I will get lost in the addiction.” 

Do you have a favorite TV show? If so, what is it?  

JG: “Right now my favorite shows are probably Yellowstone and Ozark. My favorites of all time are probably True Detective and The Wire.” 

What is your favorite sports team?  

JG: “When you grow up in Alabama it’s a little weird because you don’t have any professional teams in the state. I liked the Braves growing up. I tend to root for those underdog teams. I like what the Kansas City Royals have done as an organization in a really tough set up. I spent a lot of summers as a kid in the Bay Area, so I cheered for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s. I haven’t really picked one team and stuck with it like most people do.” 

If you weren’t a coach what would you be doing?  

JG: “I did teach history for six years part-time when I was at Marion, and I enjoyed that. Probably anything that has to do with serving the community. I want to be a better citizen and help my community. I think in a way my job now also allows me to do that, and I feel as proud coaching as I did when I was in the military. I get a huge joy out of seeing people do what they are capable of doing and helping people get to that point.”  

What is your favorite thing about Birmingham and UAB?  

JG: “When Gene Bartow started the athletic department here be said that Blazers came from the word trailblazers. When you think of UAB it is synonymous with innovation, new and unlimited potential. We are one of the top young universities in the nation and I think that is what attracts me to UAB. On the personal side of things, UAB has been a huge part of my family’s life. We have had family members who are alive today because of heart transplants and surgeries done at UAB. Birmingham is very much home to me. Growing up in Tuscaloosa we came into Birmingham a lot for shopping or sports. Getting the chance to impact a school that I always thought highly of and grew up near is huge for me, it is a really cool feeling.”  

Softball season tickets are on sale by purchasing the 2020-21 Gold Card for $65 here. The Gold Card is an exclusive offer that grants you admission into all UAB men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, women’s basketball, baseball and softball events for the upcoming academic year. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details. 

For more information on the UAB softball team, follow @UAB_SB on Twitter and Instagram.