FARMINGTON – Head softball coach Kevin Werth, who has led the Piedra Vista team to nine state titles during his 19-year tenure, was named softball coach of the year by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association.
Werth, who has amassed nearly 500 career wins as a coach at both Piedra Vista and Shiprock High Schools, recently passed the 400-win milestone as Panthers softball coach this past season.
A native of Grants, this is Werth’s third time receiving the NMHSCA coach of the year award. He won the honor in both 2007 as well as in 2010.
Werth, who was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame in 2013, was also named softball coach of the year in 2013 by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.
Werth was quick to thank those around him, including his coaching staff and players who helped him achieve this honor.
“My assistant coaches and the kids are really the ones who deserve the credit,” Werth said. “They work tirelessly and selflessly for our program and make it what it is.”
In a statement released this week by Piedra Vista High School, Werth was commended for his work throughout the years.
“Our program is honored to have (Werth) as our head coach. Thank you for being a positive influence in the lives of hundreds of athletes by teaching them how to be a good teammate, son, daughter, student, and person,” the statement said.
The Panthers won nine straight Class 4A state championships in softball from 2006 to 2014, and in 2010 the Panthers were ranked in the top 20 across the nation for prep softball programs by MaxPreps.
Before taking over the Piedra Vista softball team in 2003, Werth served as head softball coach at Shiprock High School, where they captured two district Titles, two regional championships, as well as a state-runner up award in 2001, and third place in the state tournament in 2002.
Before his coaching career, Werth was a three-sport letterman at Grants High School, playing football, wrestling and baseball before graduating in 1991. Werth received a scholarship from Sterling (Kansas) College to pursue his baseball career.
He transferred to New Mexico Highlands University in 1992 where he went on to earn a degree in Political Science and History in 1995.
In addition to the enormous success on the field, many Piedra Vista softball players have gone on to play at the college level. The Panthers have had more than 80% of Werth’s graduating seniors receive an offer to play at the next level.
“I’m so appreciative of all the hard work everyone has done,” Werth said.
The Panthers came within one game of winning the state’s Class 5A title earlier this spring. After dropping into the consolation bracket, the Panthers reached the finals where they beat Carlsbad 3-2 before losing the winner-take-all championship game by a final of 6-0.
The Panthers finished the most recent season with a record of 29-5, tying the school record for most wins in a single season, which was set in 2008.
Werth has been named coach of the year for the state of New Mexico four times by the National Federation for High Schools and was named coach of the year in 2013 by Softball West Magazine.
