When the Colorado State and University of Northern Colorado softball teams saw each other in the airport earlier this season, there were plenty of hugs, tears and smiles to go around.
It was a chance for first-year UNC head coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm, often referred to as Dede or Coach P, to see her former team.
Pendleton-Helm took over the Bears program last year after Ben Garcia retired. She worked at CSU in two different stints, totaling nearly two decades with the program, from 1996-1998 and 2006-2022.
CSU head coach Jen Fisher said the airport interaction — and all the positive player evaluations — speaks to the kind of coach UNC has. She values loyalty, relationships and knowing the stories behind people and programs, Fisher said.
"Everywhere she goes, she has a friend," Fisher said. "She's a connector."
'For the person first'
Pendleton-Helm's kindness, communication and overall ability to connect with others is just part of her nature, Fisher said.
The two actually played one season together at Creighton. Fisher recalled her freshman year, before transferring to a different program, and the way they would spend time together in the dorms. They occasionally talked throughout the years and often saw each other on recruiting trips.
CSU hired Fisher in 2010, during Pendleton-Helm's second stint. During Fisher's evaluation process to determine her assistants, Pendleton-Helm stuck out for her coaching and relational skills.
They talked about her philosophy, ideas and support. She has a big vision and makes people feel comfortable.
"She is an advocate for these young women, and she's the best communicator I've ever met. Communication is just so important in this game and so important for these young people," Fisher said. "Time and time again, the evaluations at the end of the year said, 'Coach P made my experience just incredible at Colorado State.' She's for the person first. She's for their graduation, she's for their empowerment and then she's for their skill on the field."
CSU honored Pendleton-Helm in May for her positive impact on the LBGTQ community, not only in the dugout but across campus.
Fisher also recalled all the road trips, filled with laughter and good conversation. Pendleton-Helm organized a team hike up to Horsetooth, which turned into an annual tradition.
CSU has a softball program because of a Title IX lawsuit, and Pendleton-Helm brought those former players back to campus to speak with the current team.
Heather Helm, Pendleton-Helm's wife, works in UNC's Applied Psychology and Counselor Education program as a professor and chair. She also serves as the Counseling Center's interim director.
Helm helped facilitate team-building activities, discuss the mental aspects of being on a collegiate team and encourage open communication when Pendleton-Helm worked at CSU. She would like to bring some of that to UNC, if possible.
Oh, and the Rams loved Pendleton-Helm so much that several players ran alongside her in the latter miles of a half marathon.
Everything comes back to relationships and growth.
"I've been saying for years, 'You would make an amazing head coach,'" Helm said. "I think she sometimes wondered if she had the head coaching mentality, and I think she's proving to herself that she does."
'The best head coach I could've asked for'
For those unfamiliar with the Colorado softball scene, the new coach ending up in blue and gold just makes sense, considering her connections to the state and the school.
The two met in Fort Collins back in 1999 and moved to Mississippi when the sport took Pendleton-Helm to Ole Miss. Unlike most couples with one in the profession, Pendleton-Helm wasn't the reason they came back to Colorado.
In fact, Helm is the one Rams and Bears fans need to thank. Northern Colorado had — and still has — a reputation for its strong counseling program. The size and focus on student experience, notably first-generation students attracted Helm, as well.
She returned to the Centennial state in 2004, and Pendleton-Helm did the same a year later.
"The only position I applied for was UNC. If I didn't get the UNC position, I was gonna have to figure out what I was going to do with my life, so I felt really grateful that I did," Helm said. "It was the place I wanted to be."
That move unknowingly became the starting point for the Bears' new era.
Pendleton-Helm previously received offers to leave CSU and was approached by UNC before it hired Garcia in 2018. Fisher said none of the opportunities were at the right place at the right time, until last year.
The longtime Rams coach was thrilled when Pendleton-Helm approached her about applying for the UNC job.
"We were really sad she decided to leave but very happy for her," Fisher recalled. "I'm a terrible person if I'm not 100% supporting that, because of the loyalty and the sacrifice she made for CSU, for me and for Colorado State softball."
Pendleton-Helm said her connection to UNC wasn't the only thing that brought her to Greeley. She likes the emphasis on providing a holistic experience for students and their families.
"I do have great ties here, but this athletic department is what made me want to be here," Pendleton-Helm said. "I love the atmosphere of this athletic department, their support and just how very much they're student-athlete focused. That was really, really cool."
She obviously got the job and has already made an impact.
The first-year coach connected with graduates of the program for an alumni game in the fall. UNC re-dedicated the field to its namesake, Gloria Rodriguez, in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.
Freshman Amailee Morales said Pendleton-Helm brings a sense of calm and encouragement, even when games aren't going the team's way. Her expectations might be high, but Pendleton-Helm's responses are never demeaning or incite fear.
"I love her. She's super calm all the time, always happy, always good vibes," Morales said after the team's win against UMKC. "She's the best head coach I could have asked for as a freshman in college."
'The place she belongs'
UNC softball isn't what people would consider a powerhouse program. It's struggled for years, often finishing — at best — in the middle of the Big Sky. Pendleton-Helm would like to see the Bears become an annual contender.
Fisher believes her friend and former colleague can do it. The program has already seen improvement on the field.
Pendleton-Helm can recruit a good balance of in-state and out-of-state students, driving community support and building the Bears' brand.
Her connections within the sport should help with scheduling, further promoting UNC. She can do this, while improving the on-field performance and caring for her players, Fisher said.
When Fisher was first hired, Colorado State had very few recruits and many returners faced injuries. The first season wasn't easy, but Pendleton-Helm helped the team finish second in the Mountain West a year after.
Pendleton-Helm's resume includes All-Americans and All-Conference selections for the SEC, Western Athletic Conference and Mountain West. She also helped the Rams earn an NCAA Tournament berth in 2019.
"She's just a wonderful person but a competitor. Don't take her lightly," Fisher said. "She's so nice, and she wants to win, but she'll do it the right way."
Helm looks forward to seeing what her wife does with the program. She earned her first win earlier this year and has the team's record sitting around .500.
There's always been love for UNC, but things are different. Pendleton-Helm went from secondhand appreciation to experiencing it on her own and working to make things better.
"She sees UNC as just absolutely the right fit for her. She just feels like it's the place she belongs," Helm said. "I think that's important for people to know. She has fallen in love with the institution and the people and has so much gratitude to be a part of it, to be a Bear."
Note: Dedeann Pendleton-Helm and her wife, Heather, share a hyphenated last name. For clarity and length, however, the Tribune was granted permission to use Heather's statements using her unmarried name.
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