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Todd Fairbourne's love and passion for the game of softball has brought success to the Wolverine softball program. Before the Wolverines made the jump to Division I competition, Fairbourne helped guide the Utah Valley to the schools only national championship while competing in the junior college ranks. His teams also finished second and ninth at the NJCAA national tournament. Now Fairbourne, who is in his 11th year as head coach, is guiding the Wolverines into NCAA Division I competition. He has an overall record 293-195-1 and has coached the Wolverines to Division I wins over schools like BYU, Utah, Santa Clara, SUU, Harvard, Utah State, St. Mary's, San Diego and Northern Colorado. Before his second stint as coach of the Wolverine softball team began, Fairbourne stepped away from coaching to try his hand in athletic administration at Utah Valley. For two years he served as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Internal Affairs and the Sports Information Director. Prior to his administrative stint, Fairbourne led the UV softball program to national prominence in its final years as a junior college. From 1997 through 2002 Fairbourne's teams compiled a 242-94 (.720) record; making him the winningest coach in UV history. During his leadership UV won three conference titles, three region titles and a national title (the school's only national title in any sport). His teams never finished below second place in the conference and played for the region title in all but his first season. Two years after winning it all, his squad just missed a second title losing in the national championship game. In his first year as head coach, Fairbourne guided UV back to the Region 18 Tournament by virtue of a second place finish in the conference. The Wolverines finished last in the conference and missed the region tournament the year prior to Fairbourne taking over as head coach. The Wolverines were 32-20 overall. The 32 victories established a new school record for wins in a season. His second year, 1998, UV finished the season at 31-17 and again finished second in the conference. The Wolverines missed out on a trip to the national tournament by losing in the Region 18 championship game. In 1999, Fairbourne's team dominated the conference with a 17-2 mark to claim the SWAC title. However, the No.3 ranked Wolverines once again missed out on the national tournament with a disappointing and surprising second-place finish in the region tourney. UV finished with a 43-10 overall record to establish another single-season win record. In 2000, Fairbourne's squad broke through and earned a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament. His No. 6-ranked squad made the most of its trip. The Fairbourne-led Wolverines went 5-0 in the tournament, including wins over top-ranked and highly touted Central Arizona, to claim UV's first-ever national title in any sport. The 2000 squad completed the season with a record 46 victories. In 2001, UV made it back-to back trips to the national tournament after winning both the conference and region titles. The squad finished eighth at the national tourney. Fairbourne capped his initial stint as coach in 2002 by guiding UV to its third consecutive trip to the national tourney. At nationals the No.3-ranked Wolverines dropped its first game 1-0. But undaunted, the Wolverines ran off six straight wins to earn a place opposite Indian River Community College in the championship game where the Wolverines fell 5-2 to finish second in the nation. During Fairbourne's six years coaching UV in the junior college ranks, his teams finished the season ranked in the top-six in the nation for four consecutive seasons. He also coached 23 NJCAA All-Americans (12 academic) and 53 NFCA Scholar-Athletes. Fairbourne is a former Lehi High School baseball player, and played on two state championship teams with the Pioneers. He was coached at Lehi by Lloyd Jacobsen, the brother of UV Director of Athletics Mike Jacobsen. Fairbourne is a former UV student. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Brigham Young University in 1994 and a master's degree in heath, p.e., and recreation from Utah State University in 2003. Todd was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has children: daughters, Ashley (16) and Danielle (9), and son, C.J. (3). He resides in Orem with his wife Tiffany. Fairbourne and his wife welcomed a baby girl, Morgan, in February 2008. |
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