UNF softball coach Marcie Higgs resigns after 14 years to join the staff at Backwards K
University of North Florida softball coach Marcie Higgs resigned after 14 years — the last among the team's most successful — to pursue what she termed "a new phase of her life and career with her family."
Higgs said she will begin serving as a consultant with Backwards K, a Jacksonville-based company that promotes showcase tournaments and camps for youth and high school softball players. Her wife, former Jacksonville University coach Ali Higgs, formed the company with her parents in 2014.
"It was a personal decision, a chance to spend more time with my family and do some other things," Higgs said. "It was the right time to make the move. For the past 23 years, one season would end and after about a minute, I was diving into getting ready for the next season. It kind of felt like the right time to take that minute and get involved in a family business."
Higgs' teams compiled a 379-336 record (.530), going 42-17 this season to match the most victories in the program's NCAA Division I era. After men's golf coach Scott Schroeder, she was the longest-tenured active coach at UNF.
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UNF reached the championship game of the ASUN tournament for the second time in three full seasons and the pitching staff was among the national leaders in ERA and shutouts.
"I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing university and athletic department for the last 14 years," Higgs said. "The people I've met and relationships I've developed will stay with me forever. There are so many people who had a hand in developing these athletes in all aspects of their lives. Without them we, as coaches, cannot be successful."
Higgs led UNF to the second-most victories as a coach overall. She has coached 21 years at the Division I level.
"We are so grateful for Marcie's commitment and dedication to UNF softball over the past 14 years," Director of Athletics Nick Morrow said in a statement. "Through her passion, hard work and great attitude, Coach Higgs has left a lasting legacy on the program. She has positively impacted so many student-athletes as well as fellow coaches and staff. Her presence on campus will be missed, but we are committed to building upon the incredible foundation she has laid at UNF."
Higgs, a native of Washingtonville, Pa., was a four-time all-conference player at Bloomsburg (Pa.) University. She started her coaching career as an assistant at Rhode Island, and was then the head coach at Coppin State and Vermont, setting victory records at each stop.
She took over at UNF in 2009.
Higgs coached nine All-ASUN academic team players, a combination of 35 All-ASUN and All-Freshman team selections and three ASUN scholar-athletes of the year, Navia Penrod (2018, 2019) and Ashley Goebel (2021).
UNF won at least 20 games in each season under Higgs, won 30 or more five times and 42 games twice, this season and in 2013, when the Ospreys won the conference regular-season title.
The Ospreys pitching staff set a program record this season for consecutive-scoreless innings pitched with 56 and led the ASUN in ERA and shutouts.
Associate head coach Jeff Conrad will assume the role of interim head coach as a national search will be commenced to find the next head coach of North Florida softball.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: UNF softball coach Marcie Higgs after 14 years to join the staff of Backwards K
