Inside Duke softball coach Marissa Young's inspiring journey - ESPN

OKLAHOMA CITY — Duke coach Marissa Young kept looking over the Blue Devils' dugout. But she couldn't spot her husband, James Lamar, anywhere in the stands.

The Blue Devils softball team was playing in the biggest game of the program's short history against Stanford in the 2023 super regionals. A travel softball coach himself who coached their two daughters and several of Duke's players in high school, Lamar wouldn't have missed it. And yet, he wasn't there.

Young sensed something was wrong. But she also had a game to coach — not knowing how her life was about to change.

A year later, on the opening day of the Women's College World Series on Thursday, Young scoured the stadium again — searching for Lamar. This time, she finally found him by the third inning, seated in a wheelchair on the concourse of the first-base side.

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«Softball has been our life since we met,» Young told ESPN on Friday morning. «He's a big reason why I'm here as a coach. He's been our biggest fan and super invested. I'm just glad that he was able to enjoy and experience this with us.… Just really special.»

A former star pitcher at Michigan, Young is now a rising star in coaching. Duke hired her in 2015 to launch its softball program. The Blue Devils started playing games in 2018. Three years later, she stunningly had them in the postseason.

This year, Young guided Duke to its first WCWS appearance, becoming the first Black head coach to reach the tournament.

And she did it while mothering her four children and caring for her husband, who's been fighting for his life and health since last year's super regional.

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