Connie Miner
Head Coach • connie.miner@ucr.edu

Former San Jose State and Eastern Michigan Head Coach Connie Miner made her return to UC Riverside in 2004 after a one-year stint as associate head coach at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Miner is a former associate head coach at UCR from 2000-2002.

While at UNC, Miner was in charge of pitchers, catchers, outfielders and hitting. She helped the Tar Heels achieve a 40-22-1 overall record, and a berth in the 2003 NCAA Regional Championships.

Miner has posted a 351-409-2 record in her career as a head coach. She earned her 300th collegiate victory with the Spartans on March 14, 1998 with a 12-3 win over Centenary. Over her three and a half years at SJSU, she coached seven All-WAC selections, nine All-WAC Academic selections, and in her final season she had four All-WAC selections including the WAC Freshman of the Year.

Miner joined San Jose State from Eastern Michigan University, where she developed the program into one of the most competitive in the Mid-American Conference. She is the school’s winningest softball coach, recording a 269-254-2 record over nine seasons. She led the team to two second place conference finishes and was named the Mideast Regional Coach of the Year in 1988. Her teams earned regional rankings in 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1994. In addition, her 1988 and 1991 squads were nationally ranked. In 1988, Miner was nominated for National Coach of the Year.

While at EMU, she recruited and coached a number of talented athletes, including 1996 MAC player of the year Melissa Druillard. She also coached one All-American, nine Mid-East regional selections, 18 Mid-American Conference selections and 22 academic All-Conference selections.

Before becoming head coach at EMU, Miner was an assistant coach at the school for four seasons. She was also an assistant coach for two more seasons at her alma mater, University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Miner is a 1979 graduate of University of Nebraska at Kearney with a bachelor of arts degree in health, physical education and recreation. She Mine red in science and history and has a coaching endorsement. On the field she was a four-year letter winner at UNK, where she received All-Conference honors four times. She was twice named conference pitcher of the year.

A native of Long Island, Kansas, Miner grew up in Red Cloud, Nebraska. While at Red Cloud HS, she played volleyball, basketball, ran track and earned player of the year in each of these sports. In ASA softball she earned All-State pitcher and utility honors. She established and has taught at dozens of pitching and all-around camps, including camps throughout Nebraska and in Ypsilanti, Michigan area.

Miner is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and former member of the West Regional Ranking Committee. In her free time she enjoys playing golf, camping, fishing, hiking, reading, swimming, biking and listening to music. She resides in Riverside.

Vicky Rios
Associate Head Coach • vicky.rios@ucr.edu

Vicky Rios joined the UCR Softball coaching staff in August, 2003 as the first hire under new Head Coach Connie Miner and was promoted to associate head coach in the summer of 2005.

Rios is no stranger to championship-caliber softball, having won a state championship and national championship at Sacramento City Junior College and winning back-to-back Western Athletics Conference Championships and reaching the Women’s College World Series at Cal State Northridge.

She comes to UCR from Cosumnes River College, where she had been assistant softball coach from 2001 to 2003. From 1999 to 2001 she had worked under Miner as an assistant coach at San Jose State University. Rios also served as head softball coach at Santa Clara University from 1997-99.

Rios received her degree in recreation from Cal State University, Hayward in 2000.

At SCJC in 1991, Rios was the MVP and an All-State honoree on a team that won the El Camino Norte Conference and finished third in the state tournament. The next year she took her team a step further, winning the state and national championships. As team captain, she was selected All-Conference and All-State.

She transferred to Northridge in 1993, where she earned WAC Honorable Mention honors, helping her team win the conference title and reach the Final Eight in the Women’s College World Series. In 1994, she capped off her career by leading her team to a WAC championship and the Finals of the College World Series. She was once again named WAC honorable mention and received the most inspirational and outstanding defense awards.
Following her collegiate career, she was drafted to play in the Women’s Professional Softball League. She also played on a women’s select team that competed against international teams such as China, New Zealand, Taipei and Canada.

Rios is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. In her free time she enjoys collecting music, watching movies and barbeques with the family. She resides in Riverside.

Monica Tantlinger
Assistant Coach • monica.tantlinger@ucr.edu

Monica Tantlinger joined the UC Riverside Highlanders coaching staff in the summer of 2006, one year removed from completing her collegiate playing career at nearby Cal State Fullerton.

After playing outfield for the Titans for two seasons, Tantlinger joined the staff of Titan Coach Michelle Gromacki as an undergraduate assistant as she completed her degree in communications with an emphasis in entertainment studies.

An outstanding defensive outfielder, Tantlinger appeared in 85 games in her Titans career and led the team with 12 sacrifices in 2004.

Tantlinger attended Quartz Hill HS, then began her collegiate career at Antelope Valley Junior College, earning second team all-conference honors as a freshman and first team honors as a sophomore.

Her hobbies include barbecuing with friends, watching movies, playing games, going to church and seeing her family. She resides in Perris, CA.