Arkansas Softball Lands Former Boise State Coach as New Hitting Coach

Just days after Arkansas’ hitting coach, DJ Gasso, announced his departure from the program to take the lead at Tulsa, Courtney Defiel has found a replacement.

Defiel and the Razorbacks announced on Tuesday that Justin Shults will serve as the newest associate head coach, primarily working with the offense.

The Bogle Bombers are in good hands

Welcome to Arkansas, @JustinShults33! 🐗 pic.twitter.com/7gagkQpzRW
— Arkansas Softball (@RazorbackSB) June 9, 2026

Shults comes from Boise State, where he just completed his fifth season at the helm. During that time, he led the Broncos to a 167-102 overall record. His .621 winning percentage was the best record by any head softball coach in program history.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Justin and his family to Arkansas,” Deifel said in the press release. He has built a remarkable track record throughout his career, and what stands out is his ability to develop players, elevate offenses, and help programs reach new levels of success wherever he has been. Justin is one of the brightest offensive minds in our game.”

In 2026, the Broncos ranked among the Mountain West leaders in home runs (3rd, 57), doubles per game (3rd, 1.45), and sacrifice flies (3rd, 18). The team earned ranked wins over Stanford and Ole Miss, marking the highest-ranked opponents defeated in school history.

“My family and I are extremely grateful for the opportunity Coach Deifel has presented us,” Shults said in the press release. “From the moment we stepped on campus, we could feel how special Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas are. I am committed to helping continue to raise the bar for each and every one of our softball student-athletes on and off the field.”

The 2025 season saw 34 wins under Shults’ direction, advancing Boise State to its third-straight Mountain West Tournament Championship. The team set several offensive program records that year, including runs scored (421), home runs (84), RBI (395), total bases (887), and on-base percentage (.439)

While coaching several All-Americans along the way, Shults also helped develop Mackenzie Butt and Sophia Knight, both of whom ended up transferring to Tennessee. Butt was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year after setting school records with 22 home runs and 77 RBI, while Sophia Knight became the first NCAA Division I player since 2002 to record 100 hits in the regular season in 2025.

In Shults’ very first season with the Broncos, he guided the team to a 40-10 record, which tied the school record for most wins in a season. They went on to place second in the Mountain West with a 19-5 record, and were either nationally ranked or received votes in the polls for six straight weeks.

Prior to Boise State, Shults spent time as an assistant coach at Oregon from 2019 to 2021, and helped the Ducks reach the NCAA Regional final in 2021.

"Justin notified me on Monday he was stepping down as our head softball coach to become the associate head coach role at Arkansas," Boise State Director of Athletics Jeramiah Dickey said. "Justin has done a great job over the last five years, including winning a conference title, being named conference coach of the year, and leading our program to some of the biggest wins in school history. We wish him and his family the best of luck in the new opportunity.

"Thanks to the foundation laid by him, our staff and our student-athletes, we know we will find the next great head coach for our program through a national search. You come to Boise State to compete for championships, and we fully expect to do that under new leadership in the Pac-12! It's always What's Next!"

Boise State assistant coach Terra McGowan has been named interim coach.

Arkansas is coming off its first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance, but is now facing adversity in the offseason, as eight players have already entered the transfer portal.

Add us as a preferred source on Google