Hutch gets rolling contract extension through 2022
http://mgoblue.com/news/2017/10/4/softball-hutchins-agrees-to-five-year…
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan and softball head coach Carol Hutchins have agreed to a contract extension that will keep her at the helm of the Wolverine program through at least the 2022 season, Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel announced Wednesday (Oct. 4). The five-year contract provides for annual rollovers."I remain honored and humbled to be the head coach at Michigan," said Hutchins. "I am very appreciative to Warde [Manuel] and Bitsy [Ritt] for their hard work, leadership and continued faith in me and my staff. I have truly had a blessed career and consider myself the luckiest coach in America."
October 4th, 2017 at 3:48 PM ^
Which is pretty much how she rolls. Hence the rolling contract extension.
October 4th, 2017 at 3:50 PM ^
I mean, what has she really done for Michigan softball?
October 4th, 2017 at 4:29 PM ^
It's not like anyone is talking about putting up a statue of her.
October 4th, 2017 at 3:56 PM ^
October 4th, 2017 at 4:00 PM ^
Awesome news. I hope she got a nice pay bump too!
October 4th, 2017 at 4:04 PM ^
October 4th, 2017 at 4:07 PM ^
Good. We will need YOU to focus on beating MSU. The team needs YOUR concentration.
October 4th, 2017 at 4:07 PM ^
Go Blue! Best coach we have on campus!
October 4th, 2017 at 4:46 PM ^
Michigan Daily Nov 2013 Story
https://www.michigandaily.com/sports/11-hutchins-michigan-softball-titl…
In October 1996, Bacon and Schembechler drove back together to Ann Arbor from Grand Rapids, arriving well after most people had left the athletic campus. As they pulled into the parking lot by the old softball facilities, Schembechler saw Hutchins finally walking out of her office for the night.
“Look at that!” Bacon remembers Schembechler saying. “Ten-thirty at night, and she’s working her ass off. That is the best damn coach on this campus.”
October 4th, 2017 at 4:11 PM ^
its not nearly enough!
October 4th, 2017 at 4:18 PM ^
We are the lucky ones to have her in Ann Arbor.
October 4th, 2017 at 4:20 PM ^
I love when it's June and I'm still able to avidly follow Michigan sports.
Thanks to Hutch.
October 4th, 2017 at 4:33 PM ^
Hutch deserves every bit of it.
October 4th, 2017 at 4:45 PM ^
She is a legend.
October 4th, 2017 at 5:01 PM ^
She certainly has paid her dues (I imagine she was paid jack-squat for the first part of her tenure here), and it's great to see that she'll be helming the Softball Monster for 5+ seasons.
October 4th, 2017 at 5:27 PM ^
Even though I knew she wasn't going anywhere, I was antsy about this getting her signed for another 5. Glad it's done.
They had a great weekend up in Traverse City! Both the new freshman pitchers got some game time, and so did the other freshmen.
October 4th, 2017 at 5:56 PM ^
Good for Coach Hutchins!
I've said it before, but with each passing year and each passing achievement, the softball coach position becomes that much more intimidating to fill the day she retires, and that's not a bad thing. That's a tribute to all that she has done and will hopefully do as long as she is here.
October 4th, 2017 at 7:23 PM ^
I'm hoping Bonnie Tholl steps in for Hutch when she steps down the way Mel Pearson was going to for Red before the Brand-man decided to shake things up. She's something like 15 years younger than Hutch, so even if Hutch stays in place for a good while, Tholl could have a solid decade-plus at the helm if she wants it. Would be a nice, seamless transition, and I think someone who'd been that close to Hutch for so long would be less intimidated by stepping in, since she'd already know the ropes inside & out.
That said, I hope that's not for another decade or more! Hutchins is as good as they come, and the success she has brought - and continues to bring - despite the massive disadvantages we face as a Midwestern program can never be over-rated.
October 4th, 2017 at 7:23 PM ^
...ary.
Ain't it great to enjoy having a legendary coach, and not have to wait to look back to realize it, but know it at the time? We're lucky.
October 4th, 2017 at 7:36 PM ^
Part of what I love about softball is that you can often be that way with players, too. Because no one goes pro early, if you recognize the greatness early on, you can just sit back & enjoy it the rest of the way. I can't tell you how many times during Romo's freshman year I thought to myself, "We've got 3+ more years of this to come!" I think Beaubien might be a similar story this year - we'll find out soon!
October 4th, 2017 at 7:41 PM ^
October 4th, 2017 at 8:02 PM ^
Good for Hutch. She's around 70 right? Hope she stays the full time.
October 4th, 2017 at 8:46 PM ^
I believe she's 60.
October 4th, 2017 at 9:04 PM ^
October 5th, 2017 at 12:01 AM ^
So I tried to look this up on the all-knowing Wikipedia, and found ... confusion? She's listed as having been born in "1956/1957" and being "60-61" years old. WD, you have any more precise info on this?
In any event, she should definitely be able to do all 5 of those years, and quite possibly another 5 after that. She's certainly showing no signs of slowing down. Recruiting has been as good as ever, and last year was only a disappointment in comparison with two of the most wildly successful years of her career that immediately preceded it. Lots to be excited about going forward.
October 5th, 2017 at 8:14 AM ^
She gave a speech to the Marching Band this year on our first night together as a whole band. It was truly inspirational and had me even more fired up than I already was.
Awesome to see she got this extension.