Missy Paterson Hernandez, class of 1999

Missy Paterson Hernandez- Softball- '99

Miss Paterson Hernandez, a 1999 graduate of Coker College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, finished her collegiate career as the greatest pitcher in Coker history. She owns every Coker pitching record, 17 total, and also holds the single-season batting record for most base-on-balls.

Nationally, Hernandez owns the career NCAA record (All-Divisions) for strikeouts per seven innings with 12.5, is second all-time in Division II in strikeouts (1,474), third in winning percentage (.882), fifth in shutouts (65), and seventh in earned run average (.052). Her 26-0 record and 14.2 strikeouts per game as a freshman are both NCAA single-season marks, and her ERA of 0.13 that season is third best all-time. Three times Hernandez was named Carolinas-Virginia Athletic s Conference Female Athlete of the Year, and she was named the CVAC Softball player of the year, and tournament MVP during all four years at Coker. She was a Dean’s List student at Coker and earned CVAC Presidential Honor Roll recognition as well.

Hernandez played professionally for one year in Italy in 2000 before earning her Masters degree in Sports Administration from Florida State in 2001. She married her husband, Jose, in 2002.

She earned her M.S. in Sport Administration, but quickly realized the business world wasn't for her, so she decided to try her hand at teaching/coaching. She taught high school phys ed. and coached softball at Durant High School outside of Tampa, and during her 3 years there she realized that she really had a passion for teaching. She began her Ed.D at Nova Southeastern University in 2005 and decided to pursue teaching at the college level. After successful teaching stints at Chowan University in North Carolina and the University of Texas at Arlington, and after completing her doctorate in 2010, she landed at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in January of 2011.

Currently she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advising and Academic Development, where she teaches and advises first year students in University College. After one semester, she was promoted to chair of the department and she hopes to eventually pursue administration opportunities at ZU in the future.

Missy and her husband truly enjoy the diverse cultural experience of living and working in the Middle East. Recently they welcomed their first child, Alexandra, on August 31, 2012.

Missy is also a member of Coker's Hall of Fame. She was inducted as an indivdual in 2005 and as a member of the 1998 softball team in 2011.