STARKVILLE — Mississippi State head softball coach Jay Miller has been selected as head coach of the USA Softball Women’s National Team, the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) and the USA Softball Women’s National team selection committee announced Monday afternoon. A long-time veteran of the United States coaching ranks, Miller will now lead the four-time Olympic medal-winning team as it enters the 2009 season.

The USA Softball Women’s National team coaching staff will be selected from the existing coaching pool and will be named at a later date.

“This is a tremendous honor,” said Miller, who became MState’s winningest coach this past weekend with a 223-166 record. “I have been fortunate to work with USA Softball for almost 20 years in one capacity or another, and this is a great opportunity. I have been fortunate to work with the best softball players in the world, and I look forward to doing so again this summer.”

Miller will serve as USA Softball’s head coach as it embarks on the quest of trying to help get the sport back on the Summer Olympic Program. In addition to heading up the national team training camps during the month of June, the U.S. will take part in the Canada Cup July 3-12 and the World Cup 4 in Oklahoma City July 13-20.

The 2009 slate also includes a trip to the Japan Cup July 28-Aug. 3 and the Aug. 4-11 Pan Am Qualifier in Guadalajara, Mexico.