Lizzy Lemire Position: Assistant Coach Alma Mater: Notre Dame '01

A former member of the U.S. National Softball Team and 2001 BIG EAST Player of the Year, Lizzy Lemire returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach for the Irish softball team in the fall of 2005.

Lemire works closely with the Irish outfield corps and is also a polished hitting instructor. She has helped Notre Dame advance to the NCAA Tournament in each of her last three seasons as part of the coaching staff, including a BIG EAST Conference tournament title in 2006.

"Over the past three years, Lizzy has become one of the top hitting coaches in the country," Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf said."She has committed herself to become not only a student of the game, but a master of the profession. She is such a determined individual and gets better with each season under her belt. I am very proud of her accomplishments and look forward to seeing how she continues to develop our already extraordinary hitters here at Notre Dame."

It was under the guidance of Lemire that outfielder Sarah Smith posted one of the greatest single- season improvements in program history during the 2008 campaign. Smith saw limited action for the Irish in her first three seasons, then broke out as a senior as the lefty slapper went on to earn first-team all-BIG EAST and all-NFCA regional honors. Furthermore, Smith was one of three Notre Dame outfielders to claim all-league recognition that season. Her .370 batting average and 60 hits in 2008 rank among the best performances ever by an Irish outfielder.

Lemire trekked from coast-to-coast after earning a pair of degrees from Notre Dame in 2001 before landing back in South Bend. Upon graduation, she earned a spot on a U.S. National team that steamrolled the competition with four consecutive victories and a tournament title during the 2001 U.S. Cup in Hawaii.

After her time with the U.S. National team, Lemire returned to Notre Dame as an athletic department intern through the summer of 2002. It was then that she was accepted into the sport management program at the University of Massachusetts as she went on to earn a master's degree in that field. While pursuing her degree, Lemire also served as an intern in the athletic department compliance office. In addition, Lemire was also a volunteer assistant coach for the softball squad, coordinating team travel and developing the play of the Minutewomen outfield. In 2003, Lemire shifted gears by landing a position at Boston College within the athletic department's development office, and was one year later hired as an annual giving associate at Stanford University.

During her first season back in the blue and gold as a coach, Lemire steered the 2006 Irish squad to a collective batting average of .291 while the sluggers sent 44 homers out of the park. Lemire mentored outfielder Stephanie Brown to a pair of All-America honors, as Brown also became one of only a handful of Irish players - including Lemire - to earn all- BIG EAST honors on four occasions.

Lemire captained the most successful team in the history of the Notre Dame program, powering the Irish to an overall record of 54-7 along with an all-time best No. 7 national ranking and the first number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament. As a senior, Lemire hit .324 (including a .383 mark in BIG EAST play) with 38 RBI, 10 stolen bases and three home runs. She shares the single-season record for doubles with Katie Laing, logging 17 two-baggers in 1999. Lemire's career numbers included a .332 average, 28 stolen bases, 126 RBI, nine home runs and 43 doubles. Lemire is regarded as one of the most fearless and skilled defensive outfielders in Notre Dame history.

Her personal efforts were reflected in her team's success, as Lemire was part of a senior class that complied an overall record of 177-63 (.738), earned two BIG EAST Tournament championships, four regular-season conference titles, and made three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Lemire prepped at Woodbridge High School after growing up in Irvine, Calif., where she was the city and high school's scholar-athlete of the year in 1997. The Irvine World News also recognized her as its female athlete of the year following her senior campaign. Lemire led Woodbridge to a No. 2 national ranking and was an ASA All-American in 1997. The daughter of Kathi and Tom Lemire, this Irish coach's love for Notre Dame began at an early age aided by her mother's passion and respect for the University.