OKLAHOMA CITY – USA Softball announced today that Gregg Leather (Staten Island, N.Y.) has resigned as Head Coach of the USA Softball Men’s National Team (MNT). Taking over the reins of the MNT program after the late Denny Bruckert (Gillespie, Ill.) resigned in August of 2017, Leather most recently led the Red, White and Blue to a Silver Medal finish at the 2019 Pan American Games.  “For every player and coach involved in this game, there is no bigger honor than getting to represent your country and wear the USA uniform,†said Leather. “It never gets old. While I was beaming with pride watching our guys on the podium in Peru get their medals, walking away was the furthest thing from my mind.† Leather was first selected as Assistant Coach for the MNT in the 2014 season and continued serving under Hall of Fame Head Coach Denny Bruckert, helping guide the U.S. at two World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Men’s World Championships and the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games. Since stepping into the role of Head Coach, Leather led the U.S. to a Bronze Medal finish at the 2017 Pan American Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the first international medal for the program since 2003, prior to a fifth-place finish at the 2019 WBSC World Championship in Prague, Czech Republic and Silver Medal finish at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.  “As all of my friends and many people involved in the game know, my son Christopher is autistic,†continued Leather. “As he has gotten older, the challenges that come with that have grown. Last week, he suffered a grand mal seizure causing him to collapse, strike his head and lose consciousness. We were lucky he didn’t suffer any serious injuries and was treated and released from the hospital. With the uncertainty of future seizures and the daily challenges we face, I decided the best thing for my family and the USA Softball Men’s National Team program was for me to resign as head coach. International travel is not something I can do for the foreseeable future.† When Leather was selected to continue as Head Coach for the 2019 season, USA Softball Executive Officer (CEO), Craig Cress said, “The Men’s National Team Program has made great strides to develop the talent across the U.S. thanks in large to the efforts of Coach Leather and other individuals across the U.S. to provide as many opportunities as possible for athletes to continue to play at a high level.† At the grassroots level, Leather serves as the manager of the NY Gremlins, the winner of multiple USA Softball Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championships.  “I will always be a part of USA Softball and continue to help the program,†said Leather. “I know we have a dedicated, knowledgeable and talented coaching pool. Once a new Head Coach is selected, I will be there for them in any way they see fit.†About USA Softball USA Softball (USAS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations. USAS is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USAS umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game. As the NGB for the sport of softball, USAS is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com. |
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