Maryland softball coach Julie Wright resigns after 4 seasons

Julie Wright has resigned after four years as Maryland’s head softball coach, the program announced Wednesday.

The Terps will launch a national search for their new head coach. Kristen Brown, the associate athletic director overseeing the softball program, will directly handle softball operations alongside assistant coaches Vicky Galasso and Tori Finucane.

Wright’s tenure was a rocky one, as Maryland went 59-147-1 overall and 19-73 in the Big Ten. The Terps missed the conference tournament — which features 12 of the league’s 14 teams — three of her four years. Maryland showed some promise in 2019, posting a 16-12 nonconference record before injuries and poor pitching led to a 4-19 Big Ten mark.

“While this was not an easy decision, it was the right one at this time,” Wright said in a press release. “I am truly thankful for having the opportunity to be the head softball coach at Maryland the last four years. I am especially grateful for the student-athletes and staff members who dedicated so much time to the program.”

As it stands, the Terps return the majority of their roster for the 2020 season. Their biggest question mark was at pitcher, where they just picked up Liberty transfer Braelyn Cooper (1.09 ERA as a freshman in 2019). College softball players can transfer once without sitting out a season.

Had Wright stayed, 2020 likely would have determined her future at Maryland. Her eventual replacement will inherit a young team with promising but unproven pieces. No matter how everything shakes out, though, this program has a long way to go.

This marks the fourth Maryland coaching change in the last calendar year. The football program fired DJ Durkin amid the fallout from Jordan McNair’s death; wrestling coach Kerry McCoy resigned in March, and the school did not renew tennis coach Daria Panova’s contract following a 3-18 season. They were replaced by Mike Locksley, Alex Clemsen and Katie Dougherty, respectively.