Since her first year in the dugout in 1988, Diane Ninemire has continually taken the Bears to new heights as one of the winningest and most successful softball programs in the nation. From 1999-2005, Cal made seven straight trips to the College World Series. Ninemire, who won her 900th career game on Feb. 29 versus Long Beach State, has accumulated the second-most wins in Pac-10 history (921) and is the 11th softball coach in NCAA history with 900 or more wins. Since the 1999 season, California is an impressive 478-190, with five 50-win seasons. Over the last four seasons, Ninemire's squad has posted a 219-86 mark.

During Ninemire's tenure at Cal, 34 All-America, 80 all-region, and 134 all-conference certificates have been issued to Golden Bear athletes. Two of Ninemire's former players - Michele Granger and Gillian Boxx - were four-time All-Americans and helped the United States win a Gold Medal as members of the 1996 Olympic Team in Atlanta. Just recently, former California Golden Bear Vicky Galindo was named to the 2008 15-member Olympic Team roster. Galindo played for Cal from 2003-05. History was made in 2002 when Ninemire helped direct Cal to its first NCAA Championship at the WCWS with a 6-0 win over the Arizona Wildcats, the first women's title in Cal athletics history.

What was it like achieving 900 career wins?

I've been very honored and blessed to be coaching here at Cal for 21 years. I've had the opportunity to coach so many great players and I've been blessed to have had so many great assistant coaches that have surrounded me and this program for so many years. It takes a great combination of players and assistants to win that many games. I am just really happy that I've been able to get all my wins here at Cal. I'm blue and gold through and through and there is no other place I'd rather coach than here at Cal. I hope I can end my career here, because it's been a fantastic ride.

Beyond the wins, what is the most fulfilling thing about being a head coach?

I strongly believe the most fulfilling thing about being a head coach here at Cal is that without the academics, the wins on the field wouldn't mean as much as they do. It is great to be a part of a top-ranked program and to play for a great conference. But to play at Cal because of the academics makes it even more special. I love that I can sell our program to recruits and parents and say that not only do you have the opportunity to win a national championship, but the opportunity to graduate with a degree from the top public university in the world. To me, offering them the best of both worlds is what makes me proud as a coach. And to see what these girls go through - because this is not an easy place. I think it is very hard to keep up the regiment that we have to keep up athletically and academically. I just think it speaks volumes of what these players are willing to do and commit to. The reward for them is not only will they be playing for a great softball team, but also earning a degree that will last them for the rest of their lives. They are set up to be successful people and potentially make a difference in the world. I feel really proud of all my players that have come through this program.

How has the game of softball changed over the years?

I think softball is an exciting sport and it is one of the fastest growing sports in the NCAA. I think it is because it's a fast paced game and it's entertaining for people to come out for two hours and see some great athletes perform. Today's athletes are getting better every year. They are getting stronger and faster. It's also the coaching and the technology. It's the specialization that they are willing to get before they get to Cal - working with the hitting coaches, working with the fielding coaches - the girls are just becoming stronger and faster, thus making the game better. It's a great sport and a really great team sport for young women.

If you were NCAA Commissioner for a day, what is the one thing you would change to the sport of softball?

I've kind of toyed around with the substitution rule. It would be great to find a way to utilize your players better so that you don't have just nine starters on the field. I know that we can substitute them one time, but it would be nice to somehow find a way to utilize your players more effectively and efficiently to get them more involved with the game. It's hard playing 60-70 games a year and you know what your starting lineup is going to be. It's how you utilize your other players to make them feel like what they are doing in practice everyday is helping with the teams' success. You certainly don't want to lose those players. That is the hardest thing. With basketball you can go in and out of the game. With baseball and softball we're stuck with that one substitution rule. So if there was a way we were able to substitute more frequently and get more players involved with the game, it would help with the environment of softball, especially when you are carrying 18-20 players. I think that is an issue we need to address as coaches.

What keeps you going in this profession?

Every year it is about putting together a new team. It's like putting a new puzzle together every year. You have new players with different personalities and different skill levels and you have to find the right combination that's going to go out there and strive to win a national title. And even though you may not win a national title, the fact that you have a goal to win one is special. That's the exciting thing for me is taking a new group every year - and it doesn't matter if you have a majority of your team returning - one or two new players can change the chemistry of a team. So every year it is new, it's different and it's getting that right combination together and getting at it and see if you can do better from the year before. That's the challenge I put on myself. I really want to create an environment here at Cal that is second to none. I want people knocking down the doors wanting to come here and wanting to get a degree. That's the environment that I strive for every day to create.