Central’s O’Brien honored by alma mater

Central College

PELLA — Alicia O’Brien, associate athletics director, senior woman administrator and associate head softball coach at Central College, was inducted into the Western Connecticut State University Athletic Hall of Fame in Danbury, Conn. Friday evening.

O’Brien is a 1983 Western Connecticut State graduate and was a two-sport team captain. She earned master’s degrees there in 1986 and 1995. She served as the school’s head softball coach for 17 years and also served as associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator. At Western Connecticut State O’Brien posted a 423-213-3 (.664) record. She piloted the Colonials to the NCAA finals in 2002 and her teams posted 20 or more wins 13 straight seasons, capturing Little East Conference championships three times from 2001-06.

O’Brien has helped Central compile a 224-80 (.736) mark over seven seasons, giving her a 647-293-3 (.686) career record. She received the Easton Victory Club Award for her 600th win at the 2012 NFCA convention. The Dutch have made five NCAA Division III tourney appearances since her arrival at Central, and reached the national finals last spring, tying for seventh place.

At Western Connecticut State O’Brien also served on the school’s Hall of Fame Committee and was a member of its Wellness Initiative. She served a five-year term as a Title IX consultant with the Danbury, Conn. school system. The long-time director of the Western Connecticut Softball Camp, O’Brien was also an NFCA Division III Regional All-America Committee member.

In 2001 she was inducted into the Connecticut Softball Hall of Fame and in 2008 she joined the Danbury (Conn.) High School Athletics Hall of Fame.