Career Resume
Jeff Aumend is credited with being the pioneer of the Yellowjacket softball program, commencing the program in 2000 with just five players that did not include a pitcher. By the end of the season in 2001, his team numbered 19 and had compiled a record of 2-27.
The following year, Aumend was instrumental in signing Cenex as the title sponsor to help fund the building of MSUB's Cenex Stadium.
As his swan song in 2005, Aumend led the Yellowjackets to their first ever NCAA Softball Tournament appearance with a final mark of 36-14 and finished in the top-25 in the country. Aumend and MSUB finished their trip to the big dance 2-2 with the pair of wins coming over the nation's second and 10
th-ranked 10 teams.
Aumend had the honor to coach one All-American, six All-Region selections and 22 All-Conference honorees as well as 2005 Pac West Conference Pitcher of the Year, Joey Ehnes. In his final two seasons at the helm of the program, Aumend's teams were ranked nationally for team grade point average.
Feature Story: 'Detail Freak' Has Built a Winner (By: Joe Kusek/Billings Gazette, 5/10/2005) - Original Publication
Jeff Aumend's brain was doing laps inside his weathered ball cap.
The Montana State-Billings head softball coach, a picture of equanimity on the outside, was roiling on the inside as the four games against Western New Mexico approached.
His Yellowjackets - the team he built from scratch more than five years ago - was within agonizing reach of qualifying for the NCAA national tournament.
It would be the ultimate validation for a program that started in the fall of 2000 with absolutely nothing. When Aumend arrived on campus that early September, the team had no equipment and just five players wanting to play collegiate softball.
Aumend could have played a club schedule that spring, but opted for a full slate of counting spring games.
The first MSU-B softball team would finish 2-27. Both wins were against Dickinson State.
It has been a slow, and sometimes, painful process, for the Yellowjackets and the coaching staff to finally be able to reach for the brass ring.
The team took its lumps early, but gradually, the margins narrowed. The late-inning losses began to turn into late-inning victories.
Every game was another chance to win.
"I've always had that mentality, as a player and a coach, that when I walked on the field it was 0-0 and we had a chance to win,” said Aumend, a self-admitted perfectionist.
"A detail freak,” he calls himself.
MSU-B would start to turn the tide last year, closing with a rush by winning 13 of its final 16 games.
"Midway of last year, we knew we could play with the best teams in the region,” Aumend said. "It would be just a matter of tweaking or improving in small areas.”
Aumend was fortunate to have a group of strong-willed underclassmen who were tired of losing.
The group talked big and set big goals.
Then went out on the field and backed it up.
The Yellowjackets won big and won small during this spring. School records have fallen by the wayside in bundles.
Game heroes emerged from the unlikeliest of places.
"The commitment to team from these players has been extraordinary,” marveled Aumend. "The players get along, they respect each other, they respect the coaching staff, respect their opponents and most importantly, they respect the game.
"Players have put aside some personal goals. They have the mind-set they can only do this as a team.
"The seniors have rallied the troops with a passion and a vision. The vision was to make this program the best its ever been.”
So here was Aumend, quietly worrying about the four games on the final regular-season weekend against Western New Mexico.
The Yellowjackets were ranked fourth that week in the West Region poll. The top six in the final poll would qualify for the post-season.
The MSU-B coaching staff was leery after watching what happened to the women's basketball team.
The Yellowjacket basketball team was sixth in the West Regional ranks, won its final four games of the season and still dropped to No. 8 for the West Regional tournament.
Strange things happen with regional selection committees.
Aumend was concerned. Four wins against the Mustangs should guarantee a top six finish. But what about 3-1? Or going 2-2 against Western New Mexico?
"What if we come all this way and lose all four to Western New Mexico?,” Auemend kept rewinding through his mind.
He was edgy and introspective all week.
"I was more worried as a coach before we played Western New Mexico than any other time here,” Aumend said. "We controlled our own destiny, good and bad.”
The added caveat and was that MSU-B was 0 for 12 against the Mustangs.
"I had a lot of anxiety,” Aumend said.
MSU-B won the first game 10-0 and followed it with a 13-1 victory.
Aumend smiled a little.
Less than 24 hours later, the Yellowjackets completed the four-game sweep with wins of 2-1 and 6-2. It was the first time MSU-B had swept all four games from a Pacific West Conference opponent.
"Once we got through that weekend, I've been the most relaxed guy in the world,” said the head coach.
This past Monday, MSU-B was rewarded with a first-ever berth in the West Regional and the No. 3 seed.
So now a new challenge awaits. The Yellowjackets are four wins from a regional championship.
"I enjoy the coaching,” said Aumend. "I enjoy the competing. But I'm not going to be satisfied until we win the national championship.”
