Softball season is officially underway and a new season brings new beginnings, fresh starts, and, for some, new opportunities. Three out of 11 Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams are trying out new head coaches this season, here’s the rundown.
Miami University: Mandy Gardner-Colegate
Miami University named their 11th head coach in program history with Mandy Gardner-Colgate. This will be Gardner-Colegate’s first season in the head coach position.
Spending her time as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the University of Iowa her appearance would generate big turnarounds for the Iowa Hawkeyes. After her hiring, the Hawkeyes recorded a 35-17 season in 2023, their best win total since 2009, and saw a 40% increase in strikeouts.
Before Iowa, Gardner-Colegate led the Big West in strikeouts and was second in earned run average (ERA) with her squad at the University of California: San Diego (UCSD). Along with these impressive stats, Gardner-Colegate had two pitchers earn the Pitcher of the Year titles and a top ten finalist for the Schutt Sports NFCA Division One Freshman of the Year.
Gardner-Colgate started her pitching coach career at Grand Canyon University (GCU), where she coached pitchers with top-five career and season stats in ERA, batting average against, shutouts, career wins, and strikeouts. Also, during her six years at GCU, Gardner-Colgate coached the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Preseason Pitcher of the Year in 2020 and 2021.
Northern Illinois: Kathryn Gleason
After a lackluster 18-34 season, it was easy to see Northern Illinois’ need for change. With this need for change on July 2, 2024, Northern Illinois named Kathryn Gleason as their newest head coach.
Previously working with Northern Kentucky University (NKU) for nine seasons Gleason mentored 22 players who would make All-Horizon League selections including eight all-freshman team honorees, 11 All-Horizon League Tournament honorees, and two All-Horizon League Defensive Players of the Year. In 2023 Gleason would lead NKU to the All-Horizon League tournament where they would finish as runner-ups.
Before her time at NKU Gleason was the head coach at Boston University for the 2013-2015 seasons, where in 2014 her Terriers would have a break-out year. In 2014 alone Gleason had managed to make Boston College the Patriot League and NCAA Tournament Champions marking the first tournament win for a Patriot League school since 2009.
Gleason started her head coaching career at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) from 1997-2000, where she saw great success. Gleason would turn UMass into the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament champions for four consecutive years with brief appearances in the 1997 and ‘98 Women’s College World Series.
Bowling Green: Michelle Gardner
After a disappointing (to put it very lightly) 6-38 season Bowling Green was quick to find new leadership in their newest head coach Michelle Gardner on June 24, 2024.
Gardner had posted a 70-41 record during her two and half years at Coastal Carolina University (CCU). Before CCU, Gardener would spend nine years at Indiana University where she would rack up an impressive 380 career wins and her Hoosiers would regularly make top-25 appearances in national rankings.
Gardner’s first years as a head coach would be another nine-year stint at the University of Nevada when Nevada revived their softball program after a 14-year hiatus. During her time in Nevada, she was named the 2008 Western Athletic Conference coach of the year.
With new coaches always come growing pains, so only time will tell if these swaps were the right fit. But with two seasoned coaches and a new face with an impressive resume, fans can be excited for the new season.
