The Oklahoma Sooners’ head coach has received the prestigious Netflix Best Coach Award. Best wishes to Patty Gasso as she continues her great path.

In the world of college athletics, few names carry the weight and admiration that Patty Gasso does. This week, that legacy was officially recognized on a global stage as the longtime Oklahoma Sooners head softball coach received the prestigious Netflix Best Coach Award—an honor given to an outstanding leader who has demonstrated excellence in mentorship, program building, and positive impact through sport.

Presented in tandem with the release of Netflix’s highly anticipated docuseries Voice of College Softball, the award celebrates not just wins and titles but the deeper values that define truly great coaching: integrity, leadership, resilience, and heart. For Patty Gasso, this honor isn’t just a personal achievement—it’s a milestone for the entire sport of softball and a moment of inspiration for coaches, athletes, and fans around the world.

As the lights dimmed at the award ceremony and Gasso took the stage to a standing ovation, the emotion in the room was unmistakable. The journey from a first-time college coach in the 1990s to the face of one of the most dominant programs in NCAA history has been one paved with vision, hard work, and an unshakable belief in her players—and in herself.

“This is not just my award,” Gasso said in her acceptance speech. “This belongs to every player who’s worn the crimson and cream, every assistant coach who stood beside me, and every young girl watching, dreaming about what’s possible through this game. I’m deeply honored and incredibly grateful.”

Patty Gasso’s tenure with the University of Oklahoma began in 1995. At the time, the softball program had potential but lacked national clout. Over the next three decades, Gasso would not only build a perennial powerhouse but redefine what excellence in college softball looked like.

Under her leadership, the Sooners have claimed multiple national championships, dominated Big 12 Conference play, and consistently remained at the top of national rankings. But her true gift as a coach lies beyond the hardware. Gasso has created a culture of trust, accountability, and purpose. Her players don’t just learn how to swing a bat or turn a double play—they learn how to carry themselves with dignity, how to push through adversity, and how to lead with faith and humility.

“I’ve never met a coach who is more intentional,” says former All-American and current ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza. “Patty coaches the whole person. She teaches you how to compete and how to believe in yourself. That’s why her players walk away changed—not just as athletes, but as people.”

What makes Gasso’s coaching so impactful is her deep-rooted belief in purpose-driven leadership. A woman of strong faith, she has never shied away from expressing the importance of spirituality in her life and career. She has cultivated a team environment that emphasizes character, selflessness, and gratitude—values that resonate long after players leave the program.

Through every championship run and offseason grind, Gasso has remained focused on the bigger picture. Her players are expected to excel in the classroom, serve their communities, and support each other. The result? A program that consistently produces not only elite athletes but role models.

“When you play for Coach Gasso, you learn how to win the right way,” said a current player in Voice of College Softball. “You learn that being great isn’t just about softball—it’s about how you treat people, how you carry yourself, and how you make a difference in the world.”

The Netflix Best Coach Award is not handed out lightly. It is given to a coach whose story transcends the field—whose leadership offers lessons for life and whose influence changes the trajectory of others. In choosing Gasso as this year’s recipient, Netflix not only spotlighted her illustrious record but also recognized the transformative power of her coaching.

In conjunction with the streaming platform’s release of Voice of College Softball, which intimately follows the Oklahoma Sooners throughout a dramatic season, Gasso’s leadership took center stage. Viewers were given access to candid locker room moments, intense game-time decisions, and powerful conversations between Gasso and her players. What emerged was a portrait of a coach who leads with heart, who commands respect not through fear, but through unwavering standards and love.

Executive producer and director Alyssa Hart called Gasso “a dream subject,” noting, “Every moment she’s with her players, she’s teaching. Not just the game—but life. She’s patient but firm, deeply spiritual yet intensely competitive. She’s the definition of what great coaching looks like in the modern era.”

The latest season chronicled in the documentary was no easy ride. The Sooners faced fierce competition, injuries, and emotional trials. But through it all, Gasso remained steady. Her calm presence, ability to adjust, and unrelenting focus on what matters most provided the glue that held the team together.

One especially moving scene in the documentary shows Gasso consoling a player after a tough loss, reminding her that “God’s plans are always bigger than this moment.” In another, she delivers a passionate pregame speech that leaves her team in tears—and then fired up to win.

Such moments have drawn attention not only from the softball world but from educators, corporate leaders, and leadership experts who view Gasso’s style as a model for success across industries.

Now in her third decade at Oklahoma, Gasso’s legacy is secure—but she shows no signs of slowing down. The Netflix Best Coach Award is not a capstone, but a recognition of an ongoing journey. Her influence continues to grow, with former players becoming coaches, mentors, and leaders in their own right, carrying her lessons into new generations of athletes.

Beyond the field, Gasso is also an advocate for expanding women’s sports, increasing investment in softball programs, and amplifying the voices of female athletes and coaches. She has worked tirelessly to ensure that her sport receives the respect and resources it deserves, helping to elevate softball into a mainstream national draw.

“Coach Gasso’s impact is immeasurable,” says Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione. “She’s not just a coach—she’s a builder of people. She represents everything that’s great about college athletics.”

As Patty Gasso accepted the Netflix Best Coach Award, she looked ahead with humility and vision. “I still have more to give,” she said in her closing remarks. “There are more lives to impact, more athletes to help grow, and more stories to write. I’m excited for what’s next—for our team, for this sport, and for every girl out there dreaming big.”

Indeed, Gasso’s next chapter is already being written. With another top-ranked recruiting class coming in, a program rooted in excellence, and a coach who refuses to settle, the Oklahoma Sooners are poised to continue their tradition of greatness.

But more than that, Gasso’s impact will continue to ripple outward—in every player she mentors, every coach she inspires, and every fan who sees in her story the power of purpose-driven leadership.

Patty Gasso’s receipt of the Netflix Best Coach Award is a celebration of more than titles and trophies. It’s a recognition of heart, of resilience, of a life poured into others for the sake of growth, faith, and excellence. It’s a reminder that greatness isn’t measured solely by what you accomplish, but by who you lift up along the way.

Congratulations to Coach Gasso—not just for the award, but for the standard she continues to set, the legacy she continues to build, and the example she continues to be. Her path has never just been about softball—it’s been about leading with love, living with purpose, and changing the game, one life at a time.