She had barely been on the job a week as the new Stanford Head Coach, but Rachel Hanson was seen everywhere at PGF Nationals last month and she wasn’t wasting time.

“That was Priority No. 1,” she beings, “getting players seen who we’re recruiting, helping my coaches meet players, parents and (club coaches). People are curious about Stanford’s direction and we wanted to tell our story and let people know what we’re doing.”

Coach Hanson’s hire was announced on July 15 after she concluded a successful year leading Dartmouth to an 18-2 conference record and the Big Green’s first-ever Ivy League Championship. The team went 31-19 overall and made it to the NCAA Tempe Regional.

She takes over a Stanford program that has had 18 straight winning seasons and looks to be strong in 2015 with 10 starters returning to a 30-25 team.

I spoke to the energetic new coach yesterday afternoon to see how she looks to lead her Pac-12 program and what her ideas are in recruiting, coaching and other relevant areas…

 

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FullCountSoftball: So have you had a chance to unpack and settle into your office yet? It seems like you’ve been constantly on the move!
Rachel Hanson: Funny you say that, I just rearranged my office this morning, but most of my stuff is still on the East Coast waiting on shippers to get it all here. It’s TBD. You’re right in that I’ve had an eventual summer—my sister just got married and I just returned from being on the East Coast so I’m hoping the movers pick up everything and get it to me in a few weeks. I’m just now starting to spend time in the office anyways.

 

FCS: Tell us about how you got the Cardinal job… you didn’t have any direct connection to Sanford, correct?
RH: It was a very fast process, we had some discussions around the time of Colorado (tournaments) and I flew out for the interview. Once I got on campus, everything went quickly. They wanted someone on campus moving and I wanted to be on campus moving. No, I didn’t have any direct Stanford ties, but I did have great mentors I believe in who put in a great word for me. I actually came in late in the process as I wasn’t looking to leave Dartmouth. We had just won a conference championship and we were invested in the program. I wasn’t on the radar at first, but some friends called and said I should look into it. For me, Stanford is a dream job and one of those you hope to have a chance at someday, but I never dreamed it would be so soon in my career. I’m fortunate I was able to make a “someday” happen sooner than later. And I can’t say enough about the administration at Dartmouth, there were great to me and very supportive. They were disappointed, sure, but very understanding.

FCS: You’ve come from an Ivy League job so you’re used to the academic requirements an institution like Stanford requires. Does this make it easier or harder to coach and to recruit?
RH: My tongue-in-cheek response is “Yes!” It’s tougher because of the academic requirements, but talking about Stanford turns every head. I understand we’re not a perfect fit for everyone, but we can walk into a home and people say, “Wow, Stanford.” For me, it opens doors and then it’s a matter of finding if that player is the right fit for here and if they feel that way about us too.

 

FCS: What will be the keys to getting a player recruited to Stanford?
RH: I feel Stanford has the best pitch in the country—the university has won the Director’s Cup for two decades in a row and how do you not look at Stanford for academics and athletics? I’m still getting my head around all this, but it’s the whole package here and, for us, it’s what you as a student-athlete bring to the table. For younger recruits it will be about the education process and letting them know there’s a certain path to they need to follow to become a good candidate academically and athletically. The timeline has some variables, but we’ll talk with our admissions representative to make sure a player is on the right track or not. It will be very important to make sure we’re having that conversation early on to ensure they’re taking the right classes—the right AP courses, for example—so they can be that high level of student-athlete. You’ll see we’ll be very direct, whether the player ends up at Stanford or not, in trying to education the athlete and her parent as to their choices because there’s a fear-based atmosphere and thinking of “I better take the first offer or I’ll be left out.” We want them, the players and their families, to take ownership of the process and eliminate the confusion so they under the process better themselves.

FCS: What was the reception like from the other Stanford coaches when you were hired?
RH: One of the things that was most attractive to me about the job is we can be in the hunt for the National Championship, but also we’re surrounding by excellent coaches in many sports who have won many championships. Tara VanDerveer (women’s basketball) reached out and it’s great knowing I can tap into her knowledge and expertise about the process. It was the same with Coach (David) Shaw in football and in volleyball, baseball, and other sports. Here, it’s not that everyone is on islands of excellence but it’s a community of excellence and everyone wants to help the other be a part of that.

 

FCS: You were an outstanding student and three-time all-conference player at Trinity (San Antonio, Texas) in the mid 2000’s so you’ve walked the walk, so to speak. After head coaching jobs at Dallas Univ. and Dartmouth, what is the approach you bring to Stanford now that will define the culture of the team?
RH: To me, the culture piece is one of the must exciting thing about coaching. To put our own stamp on the culture is exciting to me and there are a couple aspects to this. I’m a very process and systems based coach and I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel but have to systems of excellence. We will have processes and templates in place that I’m excited for the players to learn, to understand our strengths and weaknesses, and to learn how to build this in a Stanford way. You’re going to hear a lot from us about accountability and values which will be very internally driven by the players. We’re trying to raise women leaders so when they walk away from here they will be saying “In every aspect of who I am, I know how to improve whether it’s as a teacher, teammate, employee or family member.” It begins with the players and we want them to hold each other to a high level of commitment in doing things the right way. It’s all going to be done within a team framework in that that team comes before self. There more to it, but these are the crucial pieces that you’ll see which will be constant themes for us.

 

FCS: Back to recruiting… when you walk in the home of a prospect, what is your approach going to be?
RH: Like I said earlier, Stanford gets your foot in the door but you have to build a relationship. I’m going to be direct with them and we’ll do the tough work upfront including building communication and commitment. Once that’s in place, we’ll have fun. Game day will be fun, everything will be fun-driven, and when I walk into a living room it will be how you, the prospect, will fit into this. I’ll ask questions like, “What are the aspects that you are most excited about in college softball?” and “What gets you fired up and ready to put in the long days of practice and the early morning weight lifting?” and “How can we connect your passions to Stanford softball?” I want them to see in them what will really drive them and connect them to Stanford softball.

 

FCS: You sure aren’t entering a non-competitive conference! Talk about how you see your team taking on teams like Arizona, ASU, Oregon, UCLA, Washington and the others week in and week out…
RH: Nothing worth doing is easy, right? It’s an exciting challenge, but it’s not like we’re taking a high school team asking them to compete, these are seasoned player and a high level of athletes here. We’re going to be ready to go toe-to-toe, we’re going to go in and let the chips fall where they may. We know we’re facing the best teams in the country and we don’t take that lightly, but it’s the same game for both sides. To quote Sue Enquist, “You still run 60 feet and turn left.” We’re facing the best on a weekly basis, but if you want to be the best you’re going to have to play the best. We’re going to respect every opponent but not fear any opponent.
 

FCS: Talk about your coaches, Dorian Shaw and Megan Langenfeld… how did you come to meet them and what was it about them that convinced you to bring them on board?
RH: Dorian was with me at Dartmouth this year and had originally applied when I had an opening on the staff. Her resume caught my eye and people I know that knew her raved about her abilities. She blew me away in her interview and I saw how she connected with players at a high level of integrity. She could have the necessary conversations with Ivy League players too. I wanted people who would work their tails off and then have the integrity piece; I want to know we have each other’s back. Megan, I met a few years ago and her playing National Championship and All-American career at UCLA speaks for itself. She impressed me with her approach and she also, like Dorian, has a high level of game knowledge with the high level of integrity. Before I even get the job I put out feelers about Megan and I knew she was someone I would want to go after. She’s excited to get back to California and the Pac 12.

 

FCS: Let’s go back to your young playing days… what type of player were you in your high school and club days?
RH: I was never the type of player who could out athlete you and that’s why I love coaching the athlete who maybe doesn’t have the great athleticism but will work her tail off for you. I had some speed but average tools overall. In college I played third base and then the outfield for the last two years and was known to be an intense competitor—I don’t think that has changed much. I fit the joke about those who can’t do, teach! I spent so much time analyzing the game and working my tail off to be a better player, it now helps me know how to be a better teacher. I love working with the great player because it’s fun, but I especially love working with those to whom it doesn’t come as easily.

FCS: When you look back on your pre-college days, what’s a memory or two that stands out?
RH: I think of a random one, not the huge story, but one I’m proud of. It was the summer of my junior or senior year playing club ball and my Missouri City Magic team outside Houston was going to Gold Nationals. I had an injury and was on the bench for a few weeks and right when we were at Nationals I got cleared to play again. I was put in for a pinch at-bat and hadn’t seen live pitching in weeks so I just wanted to make a play to help my team. We were in elimination game and in that at-bat I battled off 20 pitches and drew a walk that brought in a run later. It’s wasn’t a huge hit, but I’m proud I was able to gut up and find a way to make it happen for the team.

 

FCS: What is Rachel Hanson like when she takes off her coaching hat? In other words, what’s your life like off the field?
RH: I love pretty much anything outdoors. That was a fun thing about the Northeast, there was a lot of hiking and biking, getting out in nature to clear your mind. I’ve also gotten into cross-fit and love to challenge myself. I’m also a little bit of a nerd so you’ll often catch me at a coffee shop reading a book. I’ll confess I also nerd out and I’m in love with my job so you’ll find me reading a good coaching, psychology or business book. I also love Russian writers–you want to get me excited, talk Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and the others! The theme with them was how they made you feel what they were writing.

FCS: You now have a highly visible podium in the softball world… what’s the main thing you want to tell young people today who play softball?
RH: There are so many ways I could go with this but the biggest thing needed in our sport is to educate parents and players on how to understand the whole process better. They need to ask and learn, “What is the best fit for me?” A player that plays on a Marty Tyson-like team (Corona Angels) won’t have a problem getting on a good college team, but I’m talking about the player in the Midwest who doesn’t play for a top level team but has potential and is looking for a good fit. I’m also talking about helping players on all ends of the spectrum and also getting standardization of what should be tested, like the overhand throw… actual numbers in testing that can help players and coaches find a good fit. There’s a lot of misinformation out there and it’s critical to help them understand the process and the concerns about early recruiting. I would love to help them slow down, I don’t think the process is fair right now and want to get it back to the way the sports should be, what makes it great. It starts with us as coaches and we can be a big part of that, but ultimately it’s about helping the players and parents understand that they have so much more ownership in the process than they currently do.