UPDATE 11/18 22:57: In a brief statement to JWOS on Monday night, Ole Miss interim athletic director Keith Carter said, “We are conducting an external audit of our softball program, and Coach Smith has been placed on paid administrative leave until its conclusion. We hope to conclude the audit by the end of the fall semester.”
Sources have additionally confirmed to JWOS that associate head coach Ruben Felix is helming the team during Smith’s absence.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith has been suspended indefinitely, sources told JWOS on Monday.
Smith has been the Rebels’ head coach for five seasons, leading the program to four NCAA tournament appearances and a pair of Super Regional berths, the only such appearances in program history.
During his tenure as Rebels’ head coach, Smith owns a 186-114 overall record, with a 46-73 mark against SEC opponents. The Rebels won the 2017 SEC tournament title, going 4-0 en route to the first conference championship in Rebels’ history.
The 2019 season was arguably the program’s best under Smith, as the Rebels finished with a 41-20 overall record; hosted their second Regional in three years; and finished the season as the 15th-ranked team in the country.
At the start of the 2019 season, Smith was suspended for the Rebels’ season-opening tournament, but returned to coach the team for the remainder of the year. At the time, a university release described that suspension as being, “for not meeting the university’s expectations for operating the program”
Ole Miss Athletics did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday.
Prior to Ole Miss, Smith was the head coach at McNeese State; Cal Baptist; and Biola. He also spent time as the interim head coach at UC-Riverside.
