The early returns are in, and newly hired Toledo softball coach Jessica Bracamonte gets two thumbs up.

Moments after Bracamonte was introduced as the 12th softball coach in program history, Macey Moore, a senior catcher, greeted UT athletic director Bryan Blair and delivered a message of appreciation and optimism.

“I just want to thank you for finding us an awesome softball coach,” Moore said.

On May 2, Blair’s first day as Toledo’s AD, he visited the Scott Park Softball Complex to meet with then-coach Joe Abraham and players.

“Two weeks later,” Blair said, “I was on a Zoom screen with them promising that I would find them the best absolute softball coach possible. That takes a lot of trust. They didn’t know me from Adam, and they met me one time. To trust me with that responsibility and to provide me feedback meant a ton to me to have that support.”

Abraham abruptly resigned under pressure on May 16. His abrasive, old-school style was not well-suited for the modern athlete, which made an 83-99 (36-46 Mid-American Conference) record in four seasons unsurvivable, despite an NCAA tournament appearance.

The Rockets were 12-37 (5-21) and finished in last place in the MAC by a wide margin in 2022.

“I want every program in our portfolio to be aspirational,” Blair said. “It’s not good enough to be good enough.”

An exhaustive national search, which included hundreds of conversations with search firms, coaches, and even softball reporters, led Blair to Bracamonte, who most recently served as an assistant coach at Duke from 2019-22.

“I look at these hires in three buckets,” Blair said. “No. 1. What have you done? What have you been a part of? What success can you speak to? No. 2 What do people say about you? No. 3 What can you do in an interview? I believe anybody can be anybody in an hour-long interview. You get to the heart of people when you look at what they did on paper and verify what you see with your eyes by the people they work with.”

Blair wasn’t the only one conducting an interview. Bracamonte had to make sure the fit was right for herself. Mentors told her to only go somewhere she could be successful. She quickly discovered that Blair would provide the resources needed to win and that it was possible to get the job done at Toledo.

“I knew that Toledo could be successful,” Bracamonte said. “I’ve had some opportunities to talk to a few other places and go on visits, and this place and the people separated itself from the rest. I knew very early on that it was a special place to be. While I was here, I asked some people who’ve been here for a long time, why have you stayed around Toledo for so long? The one thing that kept coming up was the people.”

The first conversation between Blair and Bracamonte took place when Bracamonte’s grandmother was visiting. Bracamonte got off the phone and told her that she had a good feeling.

“His confidence and his vision and why he chose Toledo made me feel like something special was going on and he was getting ready to do some really cool things,” Bracamonte said.

The southern California native is no stranger to the Midwest or the MAC. She was a four-year starter at Michigan State and spent six seasons as an assistant at Central Michigan. Duke was 110-23 in Bracamonte’s three seasons with the Blue Devils, who achieved their first-ever 40-win season in 2022.

“When you’ve experienced success, you know how to create and duplicate success,” Blair said. “For her to be successful in the Big Ten, then in the MAC, and then do what Duke did this year to finish in the top 15, she’s been part of some really good programs that she can pull lessons from.”

The work began shortly after Bracamonte’s press conference with a recruiting trip. The Rockets advanced to the College World Series in 1989 and have played in the NCAA tournament three times. There’s a blueprint for success, and Bracamonte is trying to put it together piece by piece.

“If you’re in athletics, you want to be the best,” she said. “There really is no getting away from that. There is definitely making sure that I keep the big picture ahead of today and tomorrow and make sure we’re working on something that will last a really long time.

“I’m confident that when we attack the process, wins and success are going to follow.”

First Published July 10, 2022, 1:48 p.m.