A head coaching position in the SEC always gathers interest, and the opening at Ole Miss is already creating some waves on the softball rumor mill. The Rebels are searching for the sixth full-time head coach in program history, following Mike Smith’s resignation in December and Ruben Felix’s stint as interim during the 2020 season.

The Rebels have reached the NCAA tournament in each of the last four full seasons (2016-19), the only postseason appearances in program history, and reached the Super Regional round in 2017 and 2019.

Here’s our list of potential candidates for the position:

Ruben Felix | Interim Head Coach | Ole Miss
     Felix was the program’s interim head coach for the abbreviated 2020 season after spending the past few years as the team’s top assistant under Smith. A veteran coach, Felix turned down another head coaching position to remain at Ole Miss for the year, and will get at least an interview for the permanent position. Felix had the Rebels in an upward trajectory when the season abruptly ended, and had impressively guided the program to a vastly-improved point after an inauspicious start to the year. Felix may get the short end of the stick if the Ole Miss administration prefers a clean break from the previous administration, but they’d be remiss not to give him a legitimate look after impressive improvement in the program this year, especially in just a few weeks’ worth of games.

Lindsay Leftwich | Assistant Coach | LSU
     Beth Torina’s longtime assistant, Leftwich has been a part of some major success at LSU, and with Torina at FIU previously. An experienced coach, Leftwich is a popular candidate for head coaching positions each year, but has been choosy even in what interviews she accepts. A Northwestern State alum, Leftwich works with the Tiger hitters, along with Howard Dobson, and has helped tutor the offense to impressive heights, including a 40-point increase in batting average year-over-year from 2018 to 2019.

Tony Baldwin | Assistant Coach | Georgia
     Another name that regularly pops up for top-level positions, Baldwin has been part of the UGA staff for several years, and has served as the program’s associate head coach since 2016. He works with the Bulldogs’ offense and was part of the staff that led the team to an appearance in the 2016 WCWS. Baldwin is an in-demand name on the Carousel, but has thus-far chosen to remain in Athens. A former North Carolina assistant, Baldwin’s resume also includes fourteen years as a college baseball coach prior to entering the softball ranks.

Jamie Trachsel | Head Coach | Minnesota
     Why should Trachsel consider leaving the team that she just took to the World Series, and in her home state, no less? For starters, there are the obvious financial and conference considerations: not only is the SEC one of the two premier conferences in the sport, Ole Miss’ contract offer is likely to reflect that status. Trachsel’s hitting coach at Minnesota is Katie Rietkovich-Browder, who is familiar with the Ole Miss program after a stint as volunteer assistant coach under Smith. During her single-year stint as head coach at Iowa State, Trachsel’s pitching coach was Brynne Dordel, who is now in a multi-year stint as the volunteer assistant at Alabama. The program and conference familiarity on a potential staff is also a major selling point.

Jimmy Kolaitis | Head Coach | UAB
     Let’s be honest: Jimmy Kolaitis has been a Power Five candidate list mainstay for several years, and for good reason. One of the game’s top recruiters, Kolaitis paid his dues as an assistant coach, and now it’s just a matter of times before he returns to the Power Five as a head coach. The 2020 season was his second as UAB’s head coach, and the program has seen significant improvement during his tenure; the Blazers were expected to hotly contend for the Conference USA championship prior to this season’s abrupt end.

Taryne Mowatt | Assistant Coach | Arizona
     Would it likely be tough to pry Mowatt away from her alma mater, especially ahead of what’s likely to be projected as another World Series appearance for UA in 2021? It assuredly would not be an easy task, but Mowatt’s familiarity with Ole Miss and coaching pedigree are high marks in her favor. She spent two years as the Rebels’ pitching coach in 2016-17, and was a major part of the program’s surge to national relevance as she tutored the team’s pitching staff. Don’t underestimate the value, either, of coming from the Mike Candrea coaching tree.

Cindy Ball-Malone | Head Coach | UCF
     Ball-Malone has been on the fast track for a Power Five coaching position after head coaching stints at Boise State and UCF. She led the Broncos to an NCAA tournament berth in 2018 before moving to UCF, and has already led the Knights to impressive levels. The team was one of the nation’s best this year, before the season’s sudden end, and had begun to reach the level of national relevance and acclaim. A West coast native, it’s possible that Ball-Malone is biding her time for a return to the Pacific time zone, but Ole Miss would be remiss not to take a look at a coach with an upward career trajectory.

Trisha Ford | Head Coach | Arizona State
     While Ford has had success at Arizona State, she hasn’t been able to crack the conference’s upper echelon in four years in Tempe. The team’s offense has excelled and the program’s pitching staff has improved under her tutelage, but ASU is caught behind a Bruin, Wildcat, and Husky logjam atop the conference. Offensive juggernaut Kindra Hackbarth has already announced her return next season under the extended eligibility waiver, as has her sister, Maddi, but a move from one power conference to another could make sense for Ford from both a financial and potential-for-success standpoint.