Michigan softball coach Hutchins is sport’s winningest coach once again

Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins is the sport’s winningest coach, breaking the record for the second time in her career, and this time likely will hold the title for a long time.

Hutchins earned career win No. 1,675 in No. 17 Michigan’s 3-0 victory against Northern Kentucky on Friday in the Duke Invitational. That victory broke a tie with former Arizona coach Mike Candrea for the most wins in NCAA history. Candrea retired after the 2021 season, his 35th coaching.

Entering this season, Hutchins’ 38th as Michigan head coach, she was five wins behind Candrea. The win over NKU was the Wolverines’ sixth of the season, and they followed it with a 3-2 win against Duke later Friday night for Hutchins' 1,676th victory.

This is the second time Hutchins has been the sport’s winningest coach. In 2016, she won for the 1,458th time (8-0 at Indiana on April 2, 2016) to pass former Fresno State coach Margie Wright (1980-2012) and held the spot for four years. Hutchins has had a distinguished career at Michigan, highlighted by the 2005 national championship. She led the Wolverines to their 22nd Big Ten title last year.

Hutchins is the winningest coach, male or female, in Michigan athletics history.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @chengelis