Staten Island native, Glen Payne, embarks on his 20th season as head softball coach of the Seahawks. In his previous 19 seasons, he has transitioned Wagner into a model program and elite talent in the Northeast Conference.
Under Payne’s direction, the program has produced a two-time conference Player of the Year (Andrea Lazzari 2008, 2009), two Rookie of the Year Award recipients (Katie Stevens, 2005 and Andrea Lazzari 2006), both of whom attended the same high school (Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada). In addition, a total of 14 All-NEC First Team and 21 All-NEC Second Team selections, which include current seniors Brenda Bott and Kelsey Parker, who garnered the program’s first NEC Most Improved Player award a season ago. Coach Payne has also seen five All-Tournament Team awardees (Andrea Lazzari [2006, 2007]; Ami Lwicki [2007], Morgan Miller [2007] and Kate Eshelman [2007]. Payne has groomed three National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) All-Region selections, two on the first team (Christy Sykora’05 and Andrea Lazzari’09) and one second team choice (Andrea Lazzari [2008]).
Coach Payne has seen three NEC Scholar Athletes of the Year (Joy Gallagher in 2006, Katie Stevens in 2007 and Kelsey Parker in 2014) while also placing one on the ESPN the Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American District 1 First Team (Kate Eshelman in 2010).
Under his direction, the Seahawk softball team reached the highest level of achievement academically as in April 2008, the squad was recognized by the NCAA for its exceptional graduation and academic performance record after ranking in the top 10 percent of all softball teams in the nation in the NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. The Seahawks were among a group of 29 programs in this elite category. Also, Payne led his team to the 2013-2014 Northeast Conference Team Sportsmanship Award, an award program, conceived by league Presidents to acknowledge the team in each conference that, in the opinion of its peers, most closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct.
Payne knows a thing or two about winning softball games. In 2006, Payne’s team recorded 35 victories while posting the most conference victories in the program’s history when his team notched a 15-5 record in NEC play. On April 18, 2010, Payne recorded career win #300 with a thrilling 10-9 victory on the road against Northeast Conference foe Fairleigh Dickinson. On March 16, 2014 while the team was in Tampa, Florida, Payne’s squad recorded a 2-1 victory over Florida A&M to record career win #350.
In Payne’s 19 season’s manning the Seahawks’ softball program, he has guided the squad to a total of six Northeast Conference appearances, including five straight from 2004-to-2008 while leading the Green & White to the championship game in 2005 and 2007.
A veteran of the Wagner athletic department, Payne became the school’s first full-time softball coach in the summer of 2001. He has been involved in the game at the college, high school and grassroots level (he is also the proprietor of Staten Island’s famous softball complex, which houses five well-groomed softball and baseball fields, including lights and a practice hitting area). In April, 2005 he was recognized by the Staten Island CYO organization for his community service efforts.
Payne has continuously employed a widespread geographical approach to recruiting, attracting talent from across the country, ranging from Hawaii, California, Nevada, Texas, Arizona and Indiana in addition to the Northeast Region.
Prior to arriving at Wagner, Payne won nearly 100 games as the head coach of C.W. Post College, as he led the Lady Pioneers to a 23-10 mark and an ECAC Division II South Championship in 1986. He has also coached the very successful Staten Island Saints from 1973-85 and from 1991-95. Payne also held coaching positions at Moore Catholic and St. Peter’s High Schools on the Island.
Currently, Payne is serving in his 34th year as New York City Commissioner of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). He has been on the legislative end of the ASA, has chaired equipment standards as well as the National Umpire Committee and a part of the insurance committee for ASA. Payne is on the National Modified Pitch Rules, National Playing Rule, and NCAA Division I Regional Advisory Committees. He also is a Pitching instructor and holds clinics here on Staten Island.
