The bell of the USS Arizona was rung last week to honor University of Arizona head softball coach Mike Candrea.

The bell – which is rung only on significant occasions in the life of the UA – is tolled at the Student Union Memorial Center on the third Wednesday of each month during the academic year to recognize faculty, staff, students and alumni for achievements that bring prestige and recognition to themselves and the University.

Candrea, who coached the 2008 USA Softball Olympic silver medal-winning team, is a recipient of the 2008 United States Sports Academy Distinguished Service Award, given annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to national or international sports through instruction, research or service.

As Wildcat softball coach, Candrea has led the UA to eight national and 10 Pac-10 championships, including back-to-back NCAA softball championships in 2006 and 2007. A recipient of 10 Pac-10 Coach of the Year awards, he has reached 1,100 career Division 1 victories faster than any coach in history and has taken 19 trips to the Women’s College World Series in the last 20 years.

The bell is rung at 12:07 p.m. The time corresponds with the date that the battleship was sunk at Pearl Harbor: Dec. 7, 1941.

For more information, or to submit a nomination, visit the Outstanding University Achievements Web site, www.union.arizona.edu/about/bell.