Debby Abbott was named the East Central University Assistant Softball Coach in July 2014, with the assistance of an NCAA Grant. Abbott also added the title of Senior Woman’s Administrator in the summer of 2015.
During the 2018 season, Abbott helped guide three infielders to All-Great American Conference honors, with Catherine Barrera (3B) netting second team honors and Mariah Ewy (SS) and Alissa Taylor (1B) honorable mention marks.
The 2017 season saw one playing hitting over .400, with Taylor recording a .402 batting average and claiming All-GAC First Team honors at first base. Breecia Crawford was also honored by the league as a honorable mention selection at catcher.
2016 was again highlighted by several honors from Autumn Suydam. Suydam was named the D2 CCA Central Region Scholar-Athlete of the Year, CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team and All-Central Region and All-GAC (OF) First Team accolades after ranking third in the GAC, with a .399 batting average.
Abbott helped the Tigers to the most successful season in school history in 2015, advancing to the NCAA Central Regional and earning the first GAC Championship title. She helped produced two players that hit over .400 for the season in highly decorated Taylor Davis (.431) and Suydam (.423).
Abbott spent the previous two seasons at Abilene Christian as an assistant softball coach. During her time with the Wildcats she helped produce seven players earn all-Lone Star Conference team honors, including Keanna Winkfield, who was selected to the NFCA All-South Central Region First Team in 2013.
Prior to joining ACU, Abbott coached five years at Muskogee (Okla.) High School, where she led her teams to five regional championships and two Large Division 6A State Championships. Her list of high school coaching achievements also includes three state runner-up titles and seven regional crowns.
Abbott also spent a season at Texas Tech (2003) and was part of a team that set a program season record with 32 home runs and turned a Big XII conference record 32 double plays. Three seniors on that year’s club went on to be named to the conference’s all-academic team.
Abbott has twice been selected to serve as head coach for the Oklahoma All-State Team (1993, 1998), and in 1998 she coached the Oklahoma American Indian Fast-Pitch Team to a gold medal.
As a travel ball coach, Abbott’s teams have won four national and six state titles.
Abbott earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Northeastern State after playing collegiate softball at Oklahoma.
Abbott, and her husband, Teddy, who is the interim Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at ECU, have two children, Lindsey and Kyle. Lindsey played collegiate softball for both Oklahoma and Wichita State from 2001 to 2004.
