Donna J. Papa, the fifth-longest tenured head coach in any sport in University of North Carolina history and the sixth-winningest in NCAA softball history, announced her retirement Thursday as head coach of the Tar Heels.
Papa led UNC for 38 of her 40 seasons as a head coach and compiled 1,339 of her 1,368 wins while at Carolina.
A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame since 2012, Papa retires as the second-winningest active coach in the sport behind only Oklahoma's Patty Gasso.
"It has been a great honor and pleasure to have represented the University of North Carolina for the last 38 years," says Papa.