FAYETTE, Mo. - The Central Methodist University softball coaching staff was recently recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as the 2008 Midwest Regional Coaching Staff of the Year.

Central Methodist Head Coach Pat Reardon, along with his assistants Gene Reardon, Steve Siebert, Ross Dowell, Janeil Draffen and Danielle Dunn, were recognized with the honor after leading the Lady Eagles to a 34-14 record during the 2008 campaign. The Lady Eagles won both the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) regular season and postseason titles, and capped their season with a second-place finish at the NAIA Region V Tournament.

As Regional Coaching Staff of the Year, the Central Methodist staff was eligible for the National Coaching Staff of the Year award. The coaches from the University of Mobile were named the East Region and National Coaching Staff of the Year after a 42-10 season in which the team won the Region XII Championship and finished as the runner-up at the 2008 NAIA Softball National Championship.

The NFCA/NAIA National Coaching Staff of the Year is selected from the Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year from five regions. Central Methodist is a member of the Midwest Region, which consists of 50 schools from nine states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, West Virginia and Wisconsin. This year's Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year included: East Region - University of Mobile; Midwest Region - Central Methodist University; Southwest Region (tie) - Dickinson State University , University of Houston-Victoria; and West Region - California Baptist University.

All of the Coaching Staffs of the Year will be recognized and presented with their awards at the NFCA convention, which will be held in December in Marco Island, Fla. For more information about the NFCA/NAIA Coaching Staffs of the Year, visit www.nfca.org.

Founded in 1854, Central Methodist is the only United Methodist Church-related university in Missouri, and welcomes qualified men and women of all faiths and from diverse backgrounds. Its wooded, historic campus hosts a faculty of teachers, mentors, and scholars dedicated to providing extraordinary attention to the individual learner. With offerings ranging from high-school dual credit to graduate studies and a total enrollment of more than 3,000, its liberal arts and pre-professional programs are centered on a character core that has twice brought Central Methodist national recognition for its leadership in character education.  In recent years the University has attracted significant challenge grants from the national Kresge and Mabee Foundations to help build a $15 million Student and Community Center on the academic quadrangle and to fund $5 million in major upgrades to its athletic facilities.