Brian Kolze, the winningest coach in Pacific softball program history, is in his 16th season at the helm of the program. With a 476-368-1 (.564) overall record during his tenure, Kolze is third all-time in Big West history and leaves him is on the verge of another career milestone, just 24 wins shy of becoming only the third coach in conference history to win 500 career games at a member school. He enters the season one win shy of 200 career Big West victories as he holds a 199-176-1 (.531) record in conference play.

Kolze has guided the Tigers to a program-record 12 consecutive winning seasons and seven NCAA Regional appearances in the last 10 years. The 2007 edition of the Tigers proved themselves against some of the best competition in the country throughout the season, ending the year witha 36-24 overall record and a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time in three seasons. Pacific picked up two in-season tournament championships during the season as they captured the Alexis Park Tournament title to open the season and their own Pacific Invitational title a month later. Under Kolze's guide, Pacific finished the year with six all-conference honorees, three All-West Region players and the first pair of teammates to garner All-America honors in the same season in seniors Gina Carbonatto and Jennifer Curtier.

Playing one of the toughest schedules in the country in 2006, the Tigers finished the season at 26-25 last season. Injuries to key players at the start of the conference season caused Pacific to struggle through the Big West, finishing the conference season with a 7-11 mark, thereby missing the postseason for the second consecutive season.

A year prior and for the first time in five seasons, the Tigers missed the NCAA tournament in 2005. However, Kolze was still able to guide his Tigers to their record setting 10th consecutive winning season (30-25). The Tigers started strong winning eight of their first 10 games of the season. During the season, Kolze reached another milestone in his Pacific career, picking up win No. 400 as the Tigers defeated Nevada, 8-7, on April 1.

Kolze also brought international coaching experience to the Tigers in 2005 after spending the summer as an assistant coach for the US National Elite team that won a silver medal at the Canada Cup and brought home the gold at the Intercontinental Cup in Spain in July of 2005.

In 2004, Kolze directed the Tigers to a 36-23 overall record, including a school-record 17-3 mark to open the season. Pacific earned victories in each of its first seven games in 2004, five of which came at the season opening Baylor Getterman Classic.

Kolze guided the Tigers to a 34-24 overall record and a 10-10 mark in Big West play in 2003. The Tigers claimed the tournament championship at the in-season Hawai'i Invitational with a 4-0 record against NCAA Division I competition in tourney play.

In 2002, Kolze became the first coach in program history to reach the 300-win plateau. He earned his third career Big West Conference Coach of the Year distinction as he led the Tigers to a 43-17 overall record and a school record 21-3 mark in Big West Conference games. The Tigers finished just one game behind conference champion Cal State Fullerton, advanced to NCAA Regional action for the fourth time in five seasons, and received a No. 20 ranking in the season-ending National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll.

Kolze established a program-record for single season wins when the Tigers posted a 50-13 record during the 2001 campaign. He was named Big West Coach of the Year in 2001 for the second time in his career. Kolze and assistant coach Heather Tarr were named the 2001 NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding the Tigers to within one win of the Women's College World Series and a No. 18 final national ranking.

In 2000, Kolze became the program's career leader for coaching victories, earning his 207th win as the Tigers posted an 11-0 shutout victory at Utah State on Apr. 2.

Kolze came to Pacific in 1992 to build the top-25 program he envisioned. He accomplished the feat in just his second year as he led Pacific to a .500 finish in 1994, the first since 1990, with a 30-30 overall record and a 14-18 conference mark. The Tigers were among the top 25 for most of the 1994 season and again broke into the top 25 in 1996, ranking as high as No. 20 in the NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll.

Pacific made its first NCAA Regional appearance since the 1985 season in 1998, as Kolze guided the Tigers to their best-ever Big West conference record at that time (19-10). For his efforts, he earned his first career Big West Conference Coach of the Year distinction. The Tigers fell just two victories shy of reaching the Women's College World Series.

In 1999, Pacific earned its second consecutive NCAA Regional berth with a 38-22 overall mark and a 16-8 record in Big West Conference action. Pacific's season was highlighted by a 2-1 victory at No. 2 Fresno State on Apr. 20, the same site where the Tigers would compete in NCAA Regional action.

Kolze was an assistant coach at UNLV from 1988-91, where his duties included the coordination of recruiting and academic consulting. During his stay at UNLV, he helped land All-Americans Tricia Reimche and Chris Parris, who led the Rebels to two consecutive Women's College World Series appearances in 1990 and 1991. After his successful stint at UNLV, he went to Sacramento State, where he was an assistant for one season before taking over the helm of the Pacific program.

During the summer of 2000, Kolze served as envoy for Major League Baseball International in Norway and Denmark. There, he worked with the national and club teams for both baseball and softball. Kolze was the head coach for the Norwegian national baseball team and led the team to a gold medal at the Nordic Championships.

Kolze also served as a coach and technical advisor in British Columbia for the White Rock Renegades. The Renegades are the country's most successful softball organization. As an assistant coach, the Renegades finished second at the Canadian National Championships in 1991.

Kolze is a nationally known clinician, having sat on the legislative committee for the NFCA from 1993-95. He served as chair of the NFCA All-America Committee from 1996-99 and was a member of the NCAA Softball Rules Committee from 1996-99. In 2004-05, Kolze sat as a member of the NCAA Softball Championship Committee.

A 1984 graduate of Cal State Northridge with a journalism degree and a minor in political science, Kolze is regarded as one of the finest recruiters in the country. He has recruited and coached All-Americans at UNLV, Sacramento State, and Pacific.

Kolze prepped at nearby Tokay High School in Lodi, Calif. Also a Tiger at Tokay, he played baseball and soccer prior to attending San Joaquin Delta College and Cal State Northridge, where he played baseball. He was a player/coach for Stockton's Robertson Homes Class "B" men's fastpitch softball team that finished third at the 1989 national tournament.

Kolze married the former Mari Jo Milano in September of 2003. The couple have three children: Betsy (23), Mendy (20), and Beau (16).