Indiana University Athletics
Getting to Know Assistant Coach Michelle Puls
11/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nov. 23, 2005
IUHOOSIERS.com sat down with newly hired assistant coach Michelle Puls of the Indiana softball team to get an in depth look at this Bangor, Maine, product on- and off-the-field. Here is what Puls had to tell IUHOOSIERS.com about everything from coaching and her expectations here at Indiana, to her favorite food.
Name: Michele Puls
Undergraduate Degree: Natural Resources
Names of brother and Sisters: Eric Puls
Names of Parents: Bonny and Larry Puls
High School Attended and Graduated from: Bangor High School
List Sports played: Soccer, Basketball and Softball
Nickname: Pully
Favorite movie: Fried Green Tomatoes
Favorite T.V. show: CSI
Something the average person doesn't know about me: My cat Rado has no tail.
CD currently in your CD player: Evanescence
Possession you can't live without: Puppy
Person in history I would most like to meet: Joshua Chamberlain
Opponent on the 2005-06 schedule I am most looking forward to playing: Michigan
Pregame rituals: Chew gum
Favorite food: Anything mom cooks
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why? I would trade paces with my brother so that I could spend all day with my nieces.
I chose to come to Indiana because...Its tradition and the opportunity to help rebuild a program.
Some of my goals during the 2005-06 season are...the team to be more productive than last year.
• Puls Biography •
Michelle Puls is entering her first season in the dugout as an assistant coach for the Hoosiers. Puls, who is no stranger to the sport of softball as a student-athlete, brings with her a career that is fluent in success on and off the field.
Puls, a former standout at Maine, served as the interim head coach of her alma mater for the 2005 season after serving the last five seasons as Maine's assistant coach. As head coach, Puls led Maine to a 28-23 mark and claimed the America East Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history, first since 1994. While at Maine, Puls led the Bears to multiple years of being one of the top defensive teams in the conference.
The former Maine coach comes to IU with extensive knowledge of the game, while also boasting a professional playing resume with the Akron Racers of the Women's Professional Softball League.
While a student-athlete at Maine, Puls was the first individual to earn conference Player of the Year honors in two consecutive seasons. She received Co-America East Player of the Year in 1997 after leading the conference with a .406 batting average, followed by a .381 average in 1998 to garner the honor a second time. She also was selected All-Northeast Regional and New England College Coaches Association All-Star first teams in 1997 and second team in 1998.
Upon her graduation, she held Maine career records for games (178), at bats (527), runs (105), hits (184), most doubles in a season (16) and season marks for doubles (16) and runs (39).
Under Puls' direction, four Black Bear infielders earned All-America East honors over the past three seasons. Puls became instrumental in the development of former Black Bear catcher Sara Jewett, the America East and ECAC Player of the Year in 2000.
Puls is a native of Bangor, Maine, and attended Bangor High School. The Bangor native graduated from the University of Maine in 1998 with a degree in natural resources with a concentration in land-use management.
"With Michelle's coaching experience, up-beat attitude and will to win, there was no question about hiring her for the position," Phillips said. "From the first moment I spoke with her and heard her philosophies, I felt she was going to be a perfect fit with our program. Michelle is very eager to further her career as a coach at Indiana University and in a very competitive conference that is the Big Ten."
Puls' duties will include working with the Hoosier hitters and outfielders.
