Michael Garoutte

Michael Garoutte is the assistant softball coach at Utah Tech University and serves as softball director for Next Athletes.

Michael Garoutte is in his second year with Utah Tech softball. He works with the catchers and outfield and assists with hitting. Garoutte is entering his 27th year of coaching. In his first year, Trailblazer hitters hit .313 and hit 44 HRs. Mentored Jr. Catcher/Outfielder, Shea Clements, earning a 1st team All-WAC selection. Prior to Utah Tech, Coach G spent 5 years as a head coach in the Northwest Athletic Conference, at Wenatchee Valley College and Big Bend College, producing a 117-64 record including winning a 2017 NWAC National Championship at Wenatchee Valley going 40-11.

During the four years at Big Bend, the softball program found un-paralleled success in the classroom and on the softball diamond. In 2018 and 2019, the team set records for season wins and crushed all offensive records; had first winning season and playoff appearances since 2006 and its first 2 NFCA All-Americans. In the classroom, the teams finished ranked 18th, 2018, and 7th, 2019, Top 3 in 2020 in the nation for team GPA. In 2019, Big Bend had 8 Easton/NFCA Academic All-Americans, 2021 saw 10 student-athletes garner Easton/NFCA Academic All-American awards. In 2017, as the Head softball coach at NWAC Wenatchee Valley College, Coach G guided the team to the 2017 NWAC National Championship. The team garnered 3 NFCA All-Americans, the NFCA Diamond Catcher of the Year, the NFCA New Balance Golden Shoe award winner, the NWAC Player of the Year and Region Pitcher of the Year, and the NWAC Coach and Coaching Staff of the Year.

In 2016, as an assistant coach at NAIA Eastern Oregon University, EOU secured its first winning season since 2005 and were 2016 CCC conference tournament champions for the first time in program history and advanced to the NAIA National softball tournament. 2010-2015.

Garoutte was an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Central Washington University. In 2011, CWU was the GNAC conference champions and in 2011 and 2014 made the NCAA Division II west region playoffs.

Garotte has NCAA Division III head coaching experience at Kalamazoo College, MI from 2007-2009 He was Associate Head softball coach at Central Washington University from 2002-2006.

He has a Master of Science in Exercise Science and a Bachelor of Science in Biology Education with a coaching minor. Garoutte is a long-time member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), a NFCA Two Star Master Coach, selected to sit on the NFCA Division III Top 25 committee as the Central Region representative in 2007-2009, served a term on the NFCA Hall of Fame Committee and on the NFCA Board of Director’s.

Coach G is married to his wife Shannon and has three children, Kellen, Jesse, and Shailyn.