Softball Players, Parents Urge Iowa to Hire Karl Gollan, Admin Welcomes Application
In a year that has been overshadowed by coaching controversy, one thing is certain for the University of Iowa softball program.
Karl Gollan should be the next head coach, according to a players and parents on social media.
Andi Adams, whose daughter Jalen is a junior pitcher, took to Facebook in a public post with a couple of photos and a detailed message regarding what the team has gone through this season. It has been shared more than 100 times there and more on Instagram.
"Imagine Coach Karl Gollan and Coach Sammy Diaz taking the reins and not only coaching in a situation that not a single team in the entire nation had to experience, but also succeeding with wins, building relationships, AND creating a culture that these student-athletes want to be a part of for years to come," Adams stated.
"Sweeping series, beating a couple top 20 teams, and having one of the best seasons in over 16 years at Iowa would make ANYONE think that Karl Gollan would have the opportunity to be the next head coach. Coach Karl did one of the hardest things I can possibly imagine in the coaching world, let alone maneuvering it in the B1G Ten and the Power 4!"
A combination of nine current players and commits have shared the post on their own social media platforms, including Jalen Adams, Avery Jackson, Talia Tretton, Jaidyn Sellers, and Echo Mattiello. It has been liked by several other like Tory Bennett, Soo-Jin Berry, Skylinn Pogue, Devin Bowman, Hannah Lindsay, Tatianna Roman, Jena Young, Devin Simon, and Haley Downe.
It's hard to argue with the results Gollan has produced since taking over the program as acting head coach in March. He has led the Hawkeyes to a 15-7 Big Ten record which is a program best since 2008 when Gayle Blevins' team went 14-6.
However, according to Adams and multiple comments from Shane Moss, father of senior Rylie Moss, Gollan told his team after the regular season finale that he would not be the head coach next season.
"I do not know what the conversations between coach and admin were," Moss commented. "But whatever they were, he informed the team that the admin was 'going to go in a different direction'."
"He has already informed the team that he will not be the next Coach at the University of Iowa," Moss continued. "So after a sweep of Rutgers, the players then had to deal with the reality of having ANOTHER coach next year... Needless to say, they were all upset about the news."
Iowa director of athletics Beth Goetz last month on Karl Gollan:
— Ethan Petrik (@ethan_petrik) May 6, 2025
“We are just so appreciative of the steady hand that he has brough that program. Really what he has done is just, hey, let’s keep the focus on the process of what we are doing today, on the young women that are out… https://t.co/Hg0KDdBn1m
Adams reiterated Moss' comments in her post as well.
"Today, instead of being happy with yet another series sweep (which is obviously REALLY hard to do, regardless of who you play), the Iowa softball players had tears of sadness because Karl had to tell his team of the uncertainty of who the next head coach will be. HOW can this even be possible, considering what Karl, Sammy, and part-time volunteer coach Lori Duncan have done for their team?"
The team reportedly met with athletic director Beth Goetz on Tuesday morning before leaving for the Big Ten Tournament.
However, there appears to be a disconnect between what Gollan told the team on Sunday and what Goetz told a local reporter before the weekend series.
"We certainly have asked Karl to participate in the process if he’s interested,” Goetz told John Steppe of The Gazette on Thursday. “But we will — as we typically do — we’ll do a national search to make sure we have the right leader for that group going forward.”
Making an internal hire is something Iowa is familiar with, and what this softball program is desperate for is consistency and loyalty. They truly believe Gollan is the man for the job.
Perhaps, Goetz will listen to what the team wants and make a decision that is beneficial for the softball program.
But for now, the Hawkeyes have to focus on the task at hand – a matchup with Penn State in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
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-1d7db99dccc9abef7b9378f016b22b68.webp "Maren Angus-Coombs")
Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.