Carol Hutchins Retiring As Coach of Michigan Softball
In surprising news that more or less came out of left field, legendary Michigan Softball head coach Carol Hutchins is retiring after 38 years at the helm:
Her legacy will live on forever. Thank you for 38 incredible years, Hutch. Happy retirement. #ThankYouHutch #ForeverGoBlue
— Michigan Softball (@umichsoftball) August 24, 2022
Hutchins, 65, was said to be on a five-year rolling contract with the ability to stay as long as she wanted. While the timing in this stage of the summer is a bit surprising, the decision to ultimately step away is not. An exodus of players to the transfer portal seemed to be an omen of this and today we get the news.
I will keep this short, because I will have a post on her in full in the coming days, but it's hard to overstate what Carol Hutchins meant not just to Michigan Softball, as the only face the program has ever had, but to the sport at large. While at Michigan, Hutchins won 22 B1G regular season titles, including 12 of 13 between 2008 and 2021. She won the B1G Tournament title 10 times, qualified for the Women's College World Series 12 times, and won one national title in 2005. With 1707 career victories (.755 winning percentage), Hutchins is the winningest coach in NCAA Softball history.
Over Hutchins' tenure at Michigan, NCAA Softball went from a nascent and niche sport to a legitimate top-line entity in college athletics that attracts millions of eyeballs in Oklahoma City every June for the WCWS. Her role in facilitating that growth was humongous. Hutchins produced some of the greatest players NCAA Softball has ever seen and never stopped being a tireless advocate for women and girls in sports at all levels. Her gargantuan legacy will tower over this sport for decades and finding a replacement at Michigan will not be easy.
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UPDATE: Assistant Coach Bonnie Tholl has been named as Hutchins' successor:
Found our next leader close to home.
— Michigan Softball (@umichsoftball) August 24, 2022
We are thrilled to announce Bonnie Tholl as the fourth head coach in Michigan softball history. Congratulations, @btholl! #GoBlue
RELEASE: https://t.co/Mjlb8RB5hz pic.twitter.com/Ug8aU43CWr
August 24th, 2022 at 1:27 PM ^
Thanks Coach Hutch...... truly one of the greatest!!
August 24th, 2022 at 1:30 PM ^
Hall of Fame all day long! Enjoy retirement.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:19 PM ^
The only other thing to add is thanking her for her dedication and passion she gave to the program at Michigan.
August 24th, 2022 at 1:35 PM ^
That's a big loss for Michigan Softball. Hutchins is a legend!
August 24th, 2022 at 1:37 PM ^
Sad to see her go but one of the true greats and so happy she was at UM. Now go enjoy retirement.
August 24th, 2022 at 1:39 PM ^
i look forward to the longer post. she's as big and important a figure in michigan sports as we've seen.
attention must be paid.
August 24th, 2022 at 1:42 PM ^
Best Michigan coach of my lifetime. And this feels right. You could feel a slight decline and older coaches usually have that and then a major decline later. I suspect she's such a fierce competitor she could feel that and stepped aside now.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:03 PM ^
Thank you Coach Hutchins for a legendary career! As we say in the Navy, fair winds and following seas.
However, I am now concerned about culture in the Athletic Department. Since the end of the spring season, the head coaches for baseball, softball and water polo have made surprise departures. Individually, they are each understandable. All together, they're concerning, especially in addition to the curious handling of Coach Pearson's situation.
AD Manuel, WT actual F?! Paging John U. Bacon.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
I think the timing is coincidental, not a symptom of a larger organizational issue.
- Baseball - It sucks, but tough to turn down an opportunity to make what is probably a lateral move at worst, but to a much more baseball-friendly school/region.
- Softball - It sucks, but it's been 38 years and you can't begrudge her for hanging up the cleats.
- Water Polo - this is shrouded in mystery, but it looks like he is teaching HS now. Per LinkedIn, he spent 15 years as a high school science teacher before coming to Michigan in 2014. Maybe he just wanted to get back into teaching.
August 24th, 2022 at 4:03 PM ^
Clemson baseball is not a lateral move from Michigan. Its going from a mid-major to a national championship contender.
August 24th, 2022 at 8:12 PM ^
Yeah, I agree. I don't view Backich from Michigan to Clemson as a lateral move. B1G is a mid-major in the baseball world
August 24th, 2022 at 2:04 PM ^
She was a legend IMO when I was in school in the late 90s. She is to Michigan spring ball (baseball and softball) what Pat Summit was to Tennessee hoops (men and women). They both made their team more popular than the male counterpart on campus and without controversy.
Considering what she accomplished at an Upper Midwest school in a sport dominated by Southern and Western schools is amaizing.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:05 PM ^
Here's my Coach Hutch "Cool story, bro."
I was working for the Michigan Daily and my first assignment was a softball doubleheader. I showed up, sat down, and started keeping score, not knowing what else to do. After five innings, I realized that the Michigan pitcher had a no-hitter going. She finished it off. Between games, I saw other reporters crowded around Coach Hutch, so I wandered over (My reporter instincts were clearly wonderful early on.) After I introduced myself as a member of the Daily, Coach Hutch looked at me and angrily asked, "DO YOU NEED A QUOTE? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT, A QUOTE?" I answered yes, and she said something easily remembered. I thanked her and walked away. My first brush with her greatness and it scared the crap out of me.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:31 PM ^
Me: "Soooo, what was the quote?"
Baby Fishmouth: "I don't remember..."
August 24th, 2022 at 3:45 PM ^
I don't blame her for her anger, I'd be angry at any fishmouth who dared to question me, too.
ps: my father in law had one of these stupid talking fish a few decades ago. It was entertaining for about 15 seconds or so.
August 24th, 2022 at 3:54 PM ^
My grandmother still has one in her house and my kids love it every time they see it. Fortunately, she lives 1000 miles away so I only have to put up with it a couple times a year.
August 25th, 2022 at 9:40 AM ^
We had the Tom Turkey version at hunting camp...... my son was probably 3 or 4 years old and he would press the button over and over and over...... everyone at camp had the phrases memorized in order, we heard it so many friggin' times.....
Camp was an 8 hour drive from home, with no electricty or running water, so we only did one 'kids weekend' a year, which is why we let him play Tom Turkey for hours on end....
Who you callin' a redneck? Momma told me there would be days like these. Pork, the other white meat.
memories
August 24th, 2022 at 2:07 PM ^
Congratulations again to Hutch on an amazing career.
Selfishly as a Michigan fan, I'm bummed that we're losing her but she has the right to do what she wants when she wants. We were blessed to have her as Michigan's coach.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:43 PM ^
It was time I think and its awesome that she recognized that.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:27 PM ^
Goodbye to a legend, and best of luck to her int he future. Warde, please use some of that $30M to ensure Michigan has the best, highest paid softball coach in the country.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:33 PM ^
wow they promoted a replacement real fast
August 24th, 2022 at 2:39 PM ^
Tholl was the obvious internal hire. Probably could have gotten a head coach job elsewhere for a while now but stuck with Hutch.
August 24th, 2022 at 4:07 PM ^
I'm also thinking Hutch told Warde to promote Bonnie during the resignation conversation.
August 24th, 2022 at 7:08 PM ^
I was going to say the candidate that Warde should look at is Kelly Kovach-Schoenly. She played at Michigan. She was successful at Miami(OH) and is pretty successful at OSU. It's now moot point.
August 25th, 2022 at 6:56 AM ^
Tholl and Hutch have shared a house in A2 for years, so I'm guessing there's more than one reason they stuck with each other.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:40 PM ^
A Titan in the sport with major impact, I am absolutely in awe of her accomplishments and grateful she did her work at Michigan. Enjoy retirement and a well earned legacy.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:42 PM ^
There's nothing to say that would sum up what Hutch has meant to UM. She put the east on the map as far as softball goes.
Plus for 38 years she's been sticking it to Sparty.
Enjoy your rest Coach, you've earned it. Every minute.
August 24th, 2022 at 2:43 PM ^
One of the greatest Michigan coaches ever with a legacy that goes well beyond Michigan. As Alex points out she played a huge role in expanding softball from a niche sport to arguably the most popular Women’s college sports. I was just looking at the schedule for the fall ball league my daughter will be playing for in Northern Colorado. For fall ball, they have 196 teams signed up to play between 10u and 14u. The sport has grown a ton particularly in areas that were never thought of as softball hot spots. Hutch played a big role in making softball specifically and women’s sports in general what they are today. Enjoy retirement coach.
August 24th, 2022 at 3:22 PM ^
Bonnie Tholl, her assistant coach for almost 30 years now, will take over. She was the shortstop and all-conference mainstay for Hutch in the late '80s, right before Michigan became a national power.
Good move, because they recruit together and this will mean minimal disruption for the program. You just don't see coaches working together for 30 years like this - there should be very little change in approach.
August 24th, 2022 at 3:25 PM ^
Hutch is on the mountain top of Softball coaching wins. And as a true Michigan legend, she waited until the off-season to announce her retirement. Nothing more impressive to me than a great coach going out quietly and on their own terms. Thank you Coach!
August 24th, 2022 at 3:29 PM ^
What an incredible career. Thank you, Coach Hutch, for some memorable times for our softball-loving family.
By the way, Alex, I think you mean “it’s hard to overstate what Hutchins means…”
August 24th, 2022 at 4:00 PM ^
Ah, thanks tweaked it in the piece
August 24th, 2022 at 3:53 PM ^
Congratulations to Coach Hutch on her retirement and especially on her outstanding Michigan coaching career. She's the definition of the word "legend".
Also congratulations to Coach Tholl on being promoted to head softball 🥎 coach (only the 4th head coach in Michigan Softball history). Wishing you much success and many years at the helm.
August 24th, 2022 at 4:12 PM ^
I'm not really into statues but we really need a statue of Hutch. Take the other ones down.
August 24th, 2022 at 5:16 PM ^
Don't know about a statue, but it shouldn't take Warde and the U more than a week to announce they are changing the name of Alumni Field to Hutchins Field.
August 24th, 2022 at 7:38 PM ^
Not only that, but how about a pregame ceremony and/or halftime dedicated to Coach Hutch this fall, even if it means shifting some or all of that particular Saturday's planned promotions to a different weekend.
Nobody but NOBODY is more deserving of the honor!
August 24th, 2022 at 4:42 PM ^
I'll never forget when my 2nd cousin, who coaches at Harvard and played for Hutch in the 80's visited with me when I was a FB manager and we were out East for the Boston College game in 1994. She wanted me to introduce her to Bo, so I did.
She told him how she was an athlete under him when he was AD, and he goes "Softball? You played for Hutch? Best GODDAMN coach we have at Michigan. PERIOD."
August 24th, 2022 at 4:44 PM ^
Thank you, Coach Hutchins. Next stop: The Hall of Fame. Michigan should name the softball stadium after her.
August 24th, 2022 at 4:57 PM ^
She's been in the fast pitch hall of fame since 2006.
August 24th, 2022 at 5:07 PM ^
I want to say something, but I have nothing to say. She’s that huge.
August 24th, 2022 at 5:17 PM ^
My 'cool story bro' moment was here in Chicago. I was working a beer tent at a street festival here in my 20's (I'm in my early 40's now). Hutch came up to the tent and I was instantly in awe "You're Coach Hutch, right?"
She was incredibly generous with her time and took a few minutes to chat with me. I'll never forget that day for the rest of my life.
She truly changed the lives of so many young women at the University of Michigan. Enjoy retirement Coach, you deserve it!
August 24th, 2022 at 5:22 PM ^
One of, of not the greatest coach to ever coach at UM. Thanks coach Hutch for 38 great years. Everything must come to an end and I do think it was definitely her time to leave. I hope Tholl can keep it going and she deserves a shot at the HC position.
My daughter played college softball and when she was in high school we took her to AA for an elite softball camp. I brought her up to be a Michigan fan and she loves UM softball. Getting to play on Alumni field and work with UM coaches and former great players was a dream for her. After the camp we went down on the field and talked to Hutch and she took pictures with my daughter. Very generous with her time and just a genuine and very good person
August 24th, 2022 at 5:50 PM ^
Thank you Carol Hutchins.
Congrats Bonnie Tholl
August 24th, 2022 at 6:03 PM ^
August 24th, 2022 at 6:33 PM ^
Was lucky enough to speak to her once while walking into the stadium for a football game. What a genuinely awesome person. We will miss you Hutch!
August 25th, 2022 at 9:36 AM ^
I saw her outside the stadium once too, and though I wanted to congratulate her, I thought I'd respect her privacy.
I'm still not sure that was the right decision.
So I'll glom onto your talking to her, as you conveyed your good wishes and mine in spirit.
August 24th, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
Goodbye and thanks, Hutch. Congrats, Bonnie. Great Daily story: https://www.michigandaily.com/softball/legendary-michigan-softball-coach-carol-hutchins-announces-retirement/
August 25th, 2022 at 2:10 AM ^
Massive admiration for her overall career. A true giant in collegiate coaching.
At the risk of getting negbombed out of existence, is anyone else just a teensy bit worried there's an unfortunate backstory? Just thinking about offseason attrition that seemed mysterious, and now an unexpected retirement. For the record, I sincerely hope there is not a problem behind this.
August 25th, 2022 at 7:55 AM ^
I thought maybe the players had a clue that this would be her last year, but the timing of waiting until now to do it doesn't really make sense.
August 25th, 2022 at 11:18 AM ^
Thank you Coach! She deserves a statue on campus!
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