The Miami University RedHawks softball program enters a new era this year. Former head coach Kirin Kumar headed to Columbus in May to take the head coaching position for the Ohio State University Buckeyes.
Kumar’s time at Miami saw the program remake itself into a powerhouse for both the Mid-American Conference and the national stage. The RedHawks captured three MAC championships and appeared four times in the NCAA tournament.
A new face has arrived in Oxford at the helm of the softball program: Mandy Gardner-Colegate.
Gardner-Colegate played collegiate softball for two years with the University of Michigan Wolverines, winning two Big Ten regular seasons in 2011 and 2012. She finished her undergraduate degree and playing career at the University of Maryland.
While earning her master’s degree at Grand Canyon University, Gardner-Colegate worked as a graduate assistant for the Lopes. Though she didn’t initially consider a career in coaching, she stayed with the program as an assistant coach for three seasons from 2018 to 2020.
“I didn’t think I necessarily wanted to coach,” Gardner-Colegate said. “I did that for three years and just kind of fell in love with it and had the opportunity to stay on, and it just took off from there.”
After six years with the Lopes and one year as an assistant coach with the University of California San Diego, it was time for Gardner-Colegate to move east. In 2022, she became the assistant coach for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
During her time at Iowa, the Hawkeyes went 35-27 in 2023, the program’s best year since 2009, and 18-28 in 2024. As the recruiting coordinator, she helped sign three players from the top 100 national rankings in 2023.
Additionally, as the pitching coach, Gardner-Colegate dropped the team’s earned runs average (ERA) from 5.03 in 2022 to 2.57 in 2023.
As she takes her first head coaching position, Gardner-Colegate feels that recruiting was a big takeaway from her previous coaching experiences.
“Every stop, I feel like I’ve gained more things on my resume,” Gardner-Colegate said. “[Iowa] really broadened my recruiting ability to go coast-to-coast, because before I was really just the west coast.”
Gardner-Colegate’s arrival in Oxford coincides with a peak in the program’s history. The RedHawks are on a four-year streak of capturing the MAC regular season championship. Last year, Miami boasted four players in the top-20 nationally for home runs.
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The team’s success is something that cannot be understated for Gardner-Colegate.
“The success they’ve had: You can’t not talk about that,” Gardner-Colegate said. “It’s pretty rare that your first head coaching job, you step into something [where] the foundation is built as strong as it is. I feel like each coach elevated the foundation and the culture, and I’m really looking forward to continue that.”
The RedHawks feel equally excited about her presence. Junior Madie Patton explains that although the team is going through a major change, fans should expect nothing less than the standard already established.
“People might look at this season as, ‘maybe we’re rebuilding,’” Patton said. “I don’t believe that. It’s kind of, ‘build on that greatness that [we’ve] accomplished.’ I’m so ecstatic.”
Along with Gardner-Colegate, two new faces will appear on the coaching staff: Alivia Forshey and Emerald Doria. Forshey previously served as the Director of Player Development for the University of Missouri Mizzou. Doria spent three seasons as the assistant coach of the University of Maryland Terrapins.
Before the regular season begins in the spring, the RedHawks need to build their relationships with each other and with the new coaching staff. For Gardner-Colegate, building those relationships takes priority over any softball-related skill.
For Patton, the opportunity to grow under a new coaching staff makes the upcoming season even more thrilling.
“I’m excited to continue to learn,” Patton said. “[In] softball, no matter what age you are, you’re always learning. Change is a great thing in my mind.”
After going 49-9 and winning the MAC championship last season, the RedHawks’ excitement for the new year is at an all-time high. Continuing the success already laid by the previous program is at the top of the list, but for Gardner-Colegate, entering her first head coaching position offers a myriad of opportunities for growth.
With her experience in pitching and recruiting, Gardner-Colegate promises Miami fans that despite the new environment, the program will continue to excel.
“I’m excited about a lot of firsts, for me and my staff, and even for the program,” Gardner-Colegate said. “I think you’re going to see a slightly different style of softball than you have in the past.”
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