Scott Whitlock

Kennesaw State University

Academic Year 2014-15 will see Scott Whitlock will enter his 30th year as a member of the Kennesaw State Department of Athletics, and his second as exclusively the Senior Associate Athletics Director.

As a member of the administrative team, Whitlock is responsible for capital projects, as well as serving as the program administrator for baseball, men’s golf and volleyball - he is also assisting with the start-up of KSU’s Football Program. He is a member of both the strategic and management teams of the department and assists Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams in the day-to-day management of the 18-sport intercollegiate athletics program. Among the capital projects Whitlock is managing are the renovations of the football coaching staff’s offices and Fifth Third Bank Stadium.

The 2013 season marked the conclusion of a storied career as Kennesaw State’s head softball coach.

During his illustrious tenure, Whitlock garnered two national titles, 13 regional crowns and more personal accolades than can be mentioned. He was the driving force that made Owls softball one of the most admired and respected programs in the country.

The Bostwick, Ga. native compiled a career record of 1150-311 (.787).

After successful runs at the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels, Whitlock carried his success into Division I compiling a 228-157 (.592)record in eight seasons at the Division I level. In 2010, Whitlock led the Owls to their first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament and a No. 3seed in the six-team event. It marked the first of four straight conference tournament appearances for Kennesaw State, in which the Owls produced six winning seasons in seven years as a Division I member.

In his club’s first Division I season, Whitlock led his squad to a 38-17 record followed by a 44-20 mark in 2007 which produced an Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title. He continued to keep his club performing at a high level in 2008, leading the Owls to a 36-17 mark. In seven seasons as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, Whitlock’s teams posted an impressive 87-59(.596) league record.

Legendary is a word that is often overused, but it is appropriate when describing Whitlock’s career. A total of 51 All-Americans can attest to that. He inspired his teams to always bring their best game to the diamond and drove his players to a higher level while playing against the best competition in the nation. The two national championships are proof.

Whitlock guided the Owls to back-to-back Division II national championships in 1995 and 1996. In his 21 seasons coaching fastpitch, Whitlock compiled an overall record of 997-296 (.771), placing him near the top in most NCAA softball coaching categories.

Under Whitlock, Kennesaw State posted four winning streaks of 30 or more games, trailing only Arizona which has produced five.

While at the helm of the Owls, Whitlock produced 18 consecutive 35-win seasons from 1991 to 2008; he had fifteen 40-win campaigns and four seasons in which his clubs won 50 or more games. Additionally, Whitlock led the Owls to nine consecutive seasons (1992-2000) in which they never lost more than a single-digit number of games. Every year from 1991 through 2002, Whitlock led the Owls to a top 10 final national ranking.

Perhaps one of the finest two-year runs in softball history came during the 1999 and 2000 seasons when the Owls combined for 108 wins. Whitlock’s 108-15 record (.878) represented two of the eight times in which Kennesaw State finished a season ranked in the top four.

Prior to fast-pitch softball arriving on campus in 1991, Coach Whitlock led Kennesaw College’s slow-pitch program for four seasons. During that team his teams claimed a staggering 153 wins while losing only 15 times (.911), winning the Georgia Athletic Conference all four years.

Whitlock’s ability to coach was surpassed only by his ability to recruit. The Owls were laden with talent during his tenure, producing 51 All-Americans. There were 24 First Team All-American selections, 19 Second Team selections and eight Third Team honorees. During his storied career with the Owls, Whitlock also produced a pair of NCAA Division II National Player-of-the-Year Award winners in Audra Thomas (2000) and Kelly Rafter (1995).

The accolades continued at the Division I level, as he coached an Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year (Keri McKee-2007), Pitcher of the Year (Brittany Matthews-2007) and Freshman of the Year (Ashlee Burkett-2010). Whitlock himself has earned A-Sun Conference Coach of the Year honors three, receiving the honor in 2006, 2007 and 2012.

Two-time Olympian, Colleen Thorburn (Canada), honed her skills under Whitlock in the early days of the program, and his experience helped to develop third baseman Sarah Lockett, who was selected to participate on Great Britain’s National Team in 2003.

For his lifetime of hard work, dedication and success, Whitlock was granted the highest honor of his profession when he was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame in Orlando, Florida in 2005. He also was honored with induction into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame in 2010.

In 2001, Whitlock joined Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden and Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt as a contributor to Dr. Stephen Brennan’s book “Six Psychological Factors for Success.” In addition, Whitlock has written numerous articles for the NFCA’s FastpitchDelivery Magazine.

In December of 2003, Whitlock received another honor when he became a member of the Cherry Hill, New Jersey based “Be the Best You Are” Softball Clinic Speakers’ Hall of Fame.

Whitlock remains a proud staff member of University of Arizona’s Head Softball Coach Mike Candrea’s summer camp staff.

From 2003-2009, Whitlock spent time on the staff of the United States National Softball Team. In 2006 he traveled with the squad and was a member of the USA staff that guided the U.S. to gold medal wins at the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City and the ISF Women’s World Championship in Beijing, China. Whitlock also served as a member of the 2007 national team staff, helping the American team capture Canada Cup and World Cup titles.

Whitlock was a key figure in helping the Owls move into the Bobbie Bailey Complex, a state-of-the-art facility that opened in February of 2004. The complexis considered by many as one of the crown jewels of fast-pitch facilities. During the planning process, Whitlock aided in fundraising activities and was instrumental in the facility’s design and amenities.

Throughout the year, Whitlock shares his quick humor and affable personality at softball clinics around the country. His expertise in the field is sought out by his peers, aspiring coaches and coaching professionals not only from the United States, but also from around the world.

Whitlock is an avid golfer, an aspiring fisherman and a big fan of college football and NASCAR. He also is a classic country music aficionado and fan of Hank Williams Sr.

Whitlock and his wife, Susan Blakely, a Kennesaw State physical education instructor, reside in Marietta.