Breaking: D’Arcy stepping down as Arizona State softball associate head coach

(Photo:Josh Frons/WCSN)

Arizona State softball associate head coach Chuck D’Arcy will not return to the program next season, a source confirmed to CronkiteSports.com.

D’Arcy, the Sun Devils’ pitching coach, finished his fourth season on the bench with the Sun Devils and first under head coach Craig Nicholson on Sunday evening after Arizona State dropped consecutive games against Michigan in NCAA Regional play. The losses prevented Arizona State from reaching NCAA Super Regionals, marking the first time the program has missed Super Regionals in nine seasons, and breaking a streak of three consecutive appearances in the Women’s College World Series.

The source confirmed that D’Arcy has already informed members of the program of his decision.

D’Arcy was hired by former Sun Devil head coach Clint Myers prior to the 2011 season and helped lead Arizona State to a Women’s College World Series title in his first year with the program.

Over the course of his four seasons with the program, D’Arcy won one national championship and reached three consecutive Women’s College World Series.

During his time at Arizona State, D’Arcy coached one of the best tandems in school history in Dallas Escobedo and Mackenzie Popescue. Escobedo and Popescue were incoming freshmen when D’Arcy was hired, and each pitcher played a pivotal role in the program’s recent success.

Escobedo and Popescue both reached the 20-win mark during their senior campaigns in 2014 and each pitcher finished in the top 10 in the Pac-12 conference in earned run average.

D’Arcy is widely regarded as one of the best pitchers in men’s fast pitch history and was a unanimous selection to the ASA Softball Hall of Fame in 1997. According to thesundevils.com, D’Arcy posted a career ERA of 0.85 in more than 30 seasons in the circle.

D’Arcy earned the respect of Sun Devil pitchers and hitters alike for his attention to detail that stemmed from a 28-year career in the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. In interviews, Escobedo often credited D’Arcy for helping her mature with his “next pitch” mentality.

The Sun Devils return just two of the four pitchers on their staff next season in Alexis Cooper and Jenna Makis. Arizona State will also lean on a highly touted recruit, graduating Mesa Red Mountain High School senior Breanna Macha, to help rebuild the rotation next season. On Monday, Macha won her fourth consecutive Division I softball championship.

CronkiteSports.com has not learned of a timetable to find D’Arcy’s replacement.

You can reach the reporter via email at kocrowley@gmail.com or on Twitter @KO_Crowley 

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