It’s been more than 20 years since Mary Kay Amicone made history at Jordan High — the first woman in Utah to coach a high school boys' baseball team. But Amicone, a 2025 Utah Sports Hall of Fame inductee, never set out to change the playbook for women in Utah sports. She just loved the game.

She grew up in Southern California, always in the lineup with her brothers and neighborhood kids.

“My only friends were boys in the neighborhood because I had two brothers,” Amicone said. “There were lots of opportunities for playing on teams or after-school programs where you learned how to play sports.”

Amicone’s mother, a former Orange Lionette fastpitch softball player, signed her daughter up for Bobby Sox softball at 8 — her first official at-bat in organized sports.

“It was the only organized team sport for girls at that time. I had played a lot of baseball. There often was a game of Over the Line and whoever was available would play,” she said.

After moving to Utah in junior high, Mary Kay Anderson, as she was known then, kept her eye on the ball — playing volleyball, basketball and softball at Murray High.

“At Murray, there was only one gym and who took the gym? Of course, the guys,” she said about the mid 1970s. “In those days, they were just starting women's sports, so we would go to Field Days and play a round robin tournament. We played in our gym suits; we didn't have any uniforms — but we were grateful for the opportunity to play.”

Amicone kept swinging in college, playing softball at Weber State and later the University of Utah, serving as team captain at both.

“After my sophomore season, the news broke Weber State softball would no longer be sanctioned. It was devastating. They decided not to sponsor it saying it was too expensive. But honestly, softball wasn’t that expensive. We didn't have equipment back then. We didn't wear helmets. We had about three to four bats. We had our own gloves. The costs were uniforms and travel, so there was really no logic to it,” she said.

At the U, Amicone’s team played in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women World Series — her first taste of postseason play on the national stage.

“It was cool to play there; it was quite an event,” she said.

While teaching at Riverton and Oquirrh elementaries and playing in fast pitch and slow pitch leagues, Amicone found herself in the coaching box at the U of U as an assistant. She married Marc, former U of U associate athletic director and later president of the Salt Lake Bees; his upbringing also was deeply rooted into softball and baseball.

“I loved coaching. I always felt like coaching was teaching,” she said. “I feel I was a trailblazer in women’s sports. I was one of the only coaches at the time who had children, and there were times when people doubted me. I’d say, ‘Don't hold me back. I can do this, if you'll let me manage that situation.’”

The Amicones’ support system — including her mother, in-laws and friends — often pinch-hit when they needed help.

During Amicone’s career, she called signals at nearly every level: Brigham Young University, Salt Lake Community College, Weber State University as well as Bingham High, where she was an assistant coach for girls basketball and softball. Her collegiate coaching record includes more than 800 wins, multiple conference titles and several trips to the postseason.

As BYU’s first softball coach in 2000, she helped the Cougars clinch the Mountain West title in their second season. But after a “difference of philosophies” with the women’s athletic director, Amicone walked away from the program.

Around that time, life threw her a curveball — the sudden death of her younger brother, the last surviving member of her family, from a brain aneurysm.

“I was really down. I wasn’t sure I wanted to coach again so I was going to go back to elementary school teaching,” Amicone remembered.

Then Jordan High’s athletic director, Marc Hunter, made a clutch call. He urged her to apply to be the school’s baseball coach.

“I said, ‘I don't think so.’ He went on, saying, ‘You're the best coach I know,’” Amicone said and conceded. “I had zero idea I’d be coaching there. I did not know that coaching boys was an option — none — but they decided I was the best candidate for the job.”

With her sons in the program’s lineup — Trevor on varsity and Derek, a freshman — Amicone found herself back in the dugout.

“At first, it wasn’t a gender thing. It became a gender thing when we started playing against other schools where, it was quoted, ‘We're not going to lose to that woman.’ I was like, ‘Well, you're not playing against the woman; you’re playing against our team,’” she said.

Amicone said the heckling turned ugly — and some, played out publicly.

“Your son shouldn't be hit by a pitch because his mom is the coach. Anytime he (Trevor) was in the game, the message was sent. I had this conversation with him: ‘If they pitch inside, just roll in and own it. You'll get on base.’ It was very hard for him,” Amicone said. “It was poor for the opposing team because those young men had role models with gender issues, and they set the tone; they were an embarrassment to be called coaches.”

Despite the challenges, the team made a run for the title, finishing second in state. That’s when Amicone got the call to return to softball — at SLCC.

“I sat down with Trevor and told him I was proud of the way he handled the season, but then I asked him, ‘What do you feel like is the best decision for me and for you?’” she said.

He encouraged his mom to accept the coaching job at SLCC where she lead the Bruins to seven conference titles in nine seasons.

“I left Jordan’s program in a great spot. The next year, they won state. It was incredible to watch and fun to know I was a part of the grassroots of this championship team,” she said.

To Amicone, good coaching is good coaching — regardless of who’s on the roster.

“As a coach, you want to bring out the best in them. I coach them hard; that’s what I know. Kids need guidance,” she said.

Now retired, Amicone is still active — trading cleats for court shoes with pickleball and racquetball and enjoying life as a grandmother. But her clubhouse includes her former players.

“I’d like to think if we could all relate to one another as team members and be a good team member in society, we’d be much better,” she said. “With my teams, I don’t have to be their coach anymore, but the relationships can continue as friends.”

In late September, several former players and coaches were part of Amicone’s team, celebrating her induction into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.