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2026 NCAA Softball Coaching Carousel: All the Latest Hires, Firings and Openings

Nicole Reitz|
Illinois parted ways with Tyra Perry.
Illinois parted ways with Tyra Perry. | Illinois Athletics

As the softball regular season comes to a close, several head coaches have either been put on the hot seat or have called it quits after years of dedicated service. 

We’re keeping track of all hires and open positions. 

Tyra Perry, Illinois Fighting Illini: OUT 

Illinois parted ways with Tyra Perry after 11 years at the helm. She had previously signed a contract in 2023 that extended her through the 2027 season, but after going 87-125 overall and 22-66 in Big Ten play the last four years, the program needed a change. 

Perry is just the second coach in Illinois softball history, and she helped the program reach the NCAA Regionals in four of her first six seasons. 

Illinois finished the 2026 campaign with an overall record of 15-39 and a Big Ten mark of 3-20.

Piper Ritter, Minnesota Gophers: OUT

Following a 16-36 record and a failed performance in the 2026 Big Ten Tournament, the Minnesota Gophers relieved head coach Piper Ritter of her duties. 

Minnesota Director of Athletics, Mark Coyle released a statement on the decision, citing that the program has taken steps backward during the last three seasons. Piper has been at the helm since 2020.

The Gophers finished the 2024 season fifth in the conference and went on to have a 20-30 overall record in 2025 with a Big Ten record of 5-17. Jessica Oakland was the star of the lineup in 2024, being named the Big Ten Player of the Year and an NFCA Second Team All-American, but she fled to transfer to Duke. 

A nationwide search will begin immediately to replace Piper. 

Benet Higgs, New Mexico State- Hired

After serving as the interim head coach of the Aggie softball program, Benet Higgs is officially taking over. She now becomes the 13th head coach in the program’s 52-year history and just the third leader since 2000. 

Higgs stepped in after Kathy Rodolph, the university's longest-tenured active coach, was let go in November. Higgs went on to guide the Aggies to 27 wins, including a 16-11 mark in Confernce USA play and a No.5 seed in the conference tournament. 

Jen Williams, Dartmouth Big Green: OUT 

After a 10-23 overall record in 2026 and a seventh-place finish in the Ivy League Conference, Jen Williams has announced her resignation as head coach of Dartmouth softball. 

Williams took over as leader in 2018 and compiled a 99-145 overall record across eight seasons, with a 62-62 record in Ivy League Play. In 2024, she led the program to its first Ivy League Tournament appearances with a 13-7 conference mark. 

A national search for the next head coach of Dartmouth will begin immediately. 

Crissy Strimple, Tulsa Golden Hurricane: OUT 

The Tulsa Athletics Department announced on May 8 that they will not be renewing Crissy Strimple’s contract. 

Strimple finished her seventh year at the helm of the Golden Hurricane, posting a 20-33 overall record and an American Athletic Confernce record of 10-17. The Oklahoma native spent 21 years with the program, two as an infielder, four as an assistant coach, and eight years as an associate head coach before taking over as head coach in 2019. 

She led the program to a 30-23 record in 2024, capturing a top-ranked win over Oklahoma State, marking the highest-ranked win since 2009. Strimple also led the team to the 2023 AAC Championship game after upsetting Wichita State. 

Megan Brown, Longwood Lancers: OUT 

Longwood Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Tim Hall announced on May 4 that Megan Brown will not return as the team’s head coach in 2027. 

She had signed a five-year contract extension in June 2024, extending her through the 2029 season.

Brown spent the last six seasons at the helm and compiled a 153-170 overall record. The Lancers were 21-32 in 2025 and finished 11-7 in the Big South Conference to earn the No.2 seed in the league tournament. The 2026 season was a different story, as the team went 7-10 in conference play. 

Lisa Costello, Towson Tigers: Retired 

After 33 seasons at Towson, Lisa Costello announced her retirement, which will be effective July 8. 

Costello finished her career with a record of 857-773-3. The final victory of the 2026 season over the College of Charleston led her to be ranked 25th on the active list of collegiate softball coaches. 

Towson won at least 20 games 26 times under Costello, with 10 30-win seasons, including a school-record 42-win campaign in 2018. She guided the Tigers to seven runner-up finishes in the Coastal Athletic Association and two more when the program was in the America East Conference. 

D'Maria Matthews, Grambling State Tigers: OUT 

D'Maria Matthews stepped into the interim head coaching position in October 2025 after Nakeya L. Hall resigned in July, but Grambling announced it wouldn’t be keeping Matthews at the helm in 2027. 

Prior to stepping into the interim position, Matthews spent three seasons at GSU as an assistant coach, where she played a key part in mentorship. 

Under her direction, the Tigers finished the 2026 season with a 14-28 overall record and a 5-18 conference record. 

Megan Griffith, Morehead State- OUT

At the conclusion of the 2026 season, Megan Griffith announced she is stepping down from her position as head coach of Morehead State. The program will conduct a nationwide search for its next leader.

The Eagles saw a rough year, going 7-38 overall with a 6-21 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference. Even with that record, the team still went on to put up the second-highest batting average in 11 years and most home runs in the last nine. 

Griffith came to Morehead State before the 2023 season after serving as head coach at Savannah State. 

Paul Gray, Niagara - OUT

After one season at the helm of the Niagara Purple Eagles, Paul Gray will not return for the 2026-27 academic year, the university said in a statement on May 13.

NU finished the 2026 season with a record of 9-34 and was 5-22 in the MAAC.

A search for Niagara's next head softball coach is underway.

Brian Campbell, Youngstown State Penguins: Retired 

The all-time winningest coach in program history announced his retirement after a 30-year coaching career, including the last 18 seasons leading the Penguins. 

He led Youngstown State to 435 wins with three Horizon League regular-season championships. He retires with an overall record of 343-308 and a 174-106 Horizon League record. In 12 seasons at the helm, he averaged 27.9 wins per year and collected seven 30-win seasons. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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