Bonnie Tholl (right) will replace Carol Hutchins as Michigan's softball coach. (Photo: Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com)Jacob Hamilton

A few minutes into her retirement press conference at Michigan, Carol Hutchins reached into a shelf behind the podium. Grabbing her “most prized coaching tool,” Hutch showed off a small board with magnets bearing the names of the Michigan softball players. It was a lineup card.

“Ouija board, Ouija board, how are we going to win today?” Hutchins would ask before games.

She was gifting it to her successor, Bonnie Tholl, who was about to take the podium for her introductory presser. It wasn’t a literal torch, but the symbolism was heavy.

Next season, for the first time in nearly four decades, someone other than Carol Hutchins will be leading the Michigan softball program.

Hutchins, softball’s all-time winningest coach, announced her retirement on Wednesday. Tholl, her assistant for the past 29 seasons, was quickly named the replacement. The two spoke about the transition on Monday (Aug. 29).

Apparently, they’d discussed it for the last dozen or so years. The hold up? Hutchins thought she might never retire.

This summer, she felt differently.

“It’s a process that you go through. There’s not really a moment you decide. The only way I’ve ever made any decision, I go back to my simple core value: What is best for this program?”

After 38 years, 1,707 wins, 22 Big Ten titles, 12 College World Series appearances, and a national championship (in 2005), Hutchins decided it was best to step away.

She talked about the sacrifices she’d made, spending countless hours on the job instead of with family and friends. She looks forward to making up for lost time. Asked if the growing popularity of the transfer portal or NIL opportunities influenced her decision, Hutchins said, “I have a lot of views on the state of college athletics, whether it’s NIL or the transfer portal. I look forward to using my influence to speak out. … But it wasn’t part of my decision making.”

In addition to her on-field success, Hutchins was a Title IX pioneer. There was a reason so many of Michigan’s other head coaches were inside Schembechler Hall for Monday’s press conference.

Tholl, who played for Hutchins (1988 to 1991) before becoming her “right-hand woman,” takes over for her mentor. She could have been a head coach elsewhere much sooner.

“I’ve intentionally and purposefully turned away from some opportunities for this very moment.”

Replacing a legend isn’t easy.

“I’m not here to fill the shoes of Carol Hutchins,” Tholl said. “I’m here to be a steward of the program.”

Instead of trying to match an icon’s legacy, she’ll try to further what’s already been built.

Over the past six years, Michigan has won three Big Ten titles but has failed to advance past the regional round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines were tied for fourth in the league last season, their worst finish since 1990.

The pillars of the program will remain the same, but there will be tweaks. Tholl mentioned communication. She wants the players to take more ownership of the program. She mentioned creating leadership councils within the team.

(Hutchins said media members should enjoy interviewing the “more diplomatic, kinder, gentler” Tholl.)

Under Tholl, Michigan’s recruiting priorities will be, in order: pitching, offensive prowess, and multi-positional players. She wants a versatile, athletic team. Getting to Oklahoma City for the College World Series isn’t just a goal. It will permeate every aspect of the program, she said.

Jennifer Brundage will stay on as pitching coach and Faith Canfield will remain the volunteer coach. Tholl said she hopes to fill out the rest of her staff in the coming days.

It will be impossible for Hutchins not to cast a shadow over the program for at least the near future, but she intends to do the opposite. She will “absolutely not” keep an office in the athletic department. She’ll attend games as a fan, but won’t be second guessing any of Tholl’s tactics.

Hutchins remains passionate about softball and college athletics in general, and she hopes to inspire positive change in some capacity. “I have a lot to say and I have a lot to do.” She plans to write a book over the next year.

Hutchins retired when she did partly because she knows this senior class could handle it and Tholl was obviously ready.

“She’s been doing a lot of these duties for a while anyway,” Hutchins said. “She has the passion, the knowledge, and the depth of character that it takes. … She’s going to flourish.”

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