Mandee Gamboa is in her fourth season as the head coach of the University of the Incarnate Word softball program. She has accumluated a 63-96 record during her tenure in San Antonio. She has been tasked with taking the program through the Division I process.
In 2015, the Cardinals struggled to a 12-39 record as the injuries mounted all season long. While the team did not win many games on the field, the performed extremely well in the classroom. Gamboa had eight players earn NFCA Scholar-Athlete honors. Taylor Johnson became the program's first Division I All-American when she was voted a Capital One Academic All-America second team selection. She was also a Southland All-Academic first team member while two others were on the second team.
The 2014 season was a landmark one for the softball program. The Cardinals made the big jump to Division I. Gamboa and the team went through some ups and downs, but proved they can compete in the Southland Conference. Her first win against a Division I program came on March 7 against Prairie View A&M and then they won their first ever Southland Conference series at home against Abilene Christian.
The team finished 21-31 and Mikaela Flores earned the program’s first all-Southland Conference award. One of the biggest accomplishments of the program was earning the NFCA NCAA Division I All-Academic Team award. They finished eighth in the nation with a 3.57 GPA. In addition, 13 members of the team were NFCA Scholar-Athletes and Taylor Johnson was a Capital One Academic All-District VII selection.
Gamboa’s first season at the helm has to be qualified as a success. A 30-26 record and a trip to the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament were the final results of 2013. The highlights of the season included winning a road series at #23 Angelo State and then winning a home series against #2 West Texas A&M. She had four players earn all-conference honors, including Monica Acuna and Briana Sanchez who were first team all-LSC.
Previously, she worked the spring of 2011 as a volunteer assistant coach after graduating from UIW in December of 2010 with her master’s degree in kinesiology. She was the Cardinals top assistant coach in 2012 when the team won the Lone Star Conference Tournament in dramatic fashion.
A native of El Paso, Gamboa played two seasons at Angelo State where she earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. At ASU she was an All-Lone Star Conference performer and was all-tournament as her senior year team finished 50-9 while winning the LSC South Division, the LSC tournament and reaching the final game of the regional tournament.
Prior to Angelo State she played two years at El Paso Community College where she was all-conference both seasons. In 2000 her team posted the best record in school history, 50-17, on the way to conference, region and district titles and a trip to the national tournament.
After her collegiate days were complete, Gamboa played on the 2005 Mexican National Team in the Pan American Fast Pitch Softball Tournament in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Thirteen countries competed and she was named to the all-tournament team and was voted the MVP among outfielders.
Gamboa began her full-time coaching career at El Paso Community College in 2006 as the assistant coach and was promoted to head coach the following year. She served three years as the head coach in a tough junior college conference before arriving at Incarnate Word.
Gamboa earned a degree in kinesiology from Angelo State in 2004 and then she picked up a Master’s degree in kinesiology from UIW in 2010. She resides in San Antonio.
