By CHASE UPTON/Sports Editor
TYLER, Texas- After more than two decades leading the UT Tyler softball program, Mike Reed is stepping away from coaching and into a full-time administrative role within the athletic department.
Reed, who has been with the team since its founding in 2003, will now focus exclusively on his duties as senior associate athletic director for internal operations, a position he began holding alongside his coaching responsibilities last year. In the role, he will assist with long-term planning, facilities oversight and budget management to support the department’s daily operations.
His decision to transition comes after 25 years in collegiate coaching, including 22 seasons at UT Tyler. The move was influenced by recent family circumstances, allowing Reed to remain close to home while continuing to serve the university in a different capacity.
When asked about Reed’s impact on the program and on his own decision to join UT Tyler, athletic director Sam Ferguson emphasized Reed’s influence.
“By all accounts, Coach Reed is an elite coach, but I’ve found him to be an elite man as well. He’s one of the reasons why I wanted to be a part of this program here,” Ferguson said.
Since the program’s inception, Reed has been the only head coach in UT Tyler softball history. Under his leadership, the Patriots developed into a national powerhouse, capturing their first NCAA national championship in 2016 when they were playing at the Division III level. They have since added back-to-back Division II titles in 2024 and 2025. Before arriving in Tyler, Reed led East Texas Baptist University to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and three consecutive conference tournament championships.
Across his career, Reed compiled a 985-187 overall record, including an 880-156 mark at UT Tyler. His 840 winning percentage is the highest in NCAA softball history, regardless of division. His coaching staffs earned three national coaching staff of the year honors and 11 regional awards.
Reed was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in December and is also a member of the East Texas Baptist University Hall of Fame.
At UT Tyler, along with the three national championships (16′, 24′, 25′) the Patriots earned 10 combined ASC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, five straight LSC Regular Season Championships, one LSC Tournament Championship, 11 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, and four straight NCAA South Central Region Championships.
Ferguson credited Reed not only for his strategy but also for the winning culture he created.
“He does whatever it takes to win, and he does so in a way that reflects well on UT Tyler.”
With Reed stepping away from coaching, assistant coach Jason Miller has been named interim head coach for the 2026 season. Miller inherits a program with a legacy of national championships, meaning he will have big shoes to fill, but Ferguson emphasized that Reed’s experience and guidance remain available to help Miller along the way.
“Mike has all the confidence in the world in Jason, and so do I,” Ferguson said.
While Reed will no longer be in the dugout, he is expected to remain involved with the program in a supportive capacity. That role will depend on what the coaching staff feels is most helpful. The transition may take time for Reed after coaching the team for over 20 years.
Though his role has changed, Reed’s influence on the program remains evident, from the culture he built to the standard he set, and the championship tradition he leaves behind for the next generation of Patriots. There is little doubt Reed will one day be inducted into the UT Tyler Hall of Fame.
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