The University of Mississippi Athletics
Letts Hired as Fastpitch Softball Coach
6/21/1999 | Softball
July 1, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. -- University of Mississippi Athletic Director John Shafer announced on Wednesday the hiring of Candi Letts as head coach of the Ole Miss fastpitch softball program. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
"I am very excited that we were able to hire a head coach with the experience and knowledge of Candi Letts," said Shafer. "She brings with her great credentials that include the WAC Coach of the Year and West Region Coach of the Year. We look forward to Candi getting to Oxford, completing her staff and taking our fastpitch softball program to the next level."
Letts comes to Ole Miss after serving the last five years as head softball coach at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. Letts took over the Ram softball program when it was reinstated in 1994, and quickly built Colorado State into a national power while playing in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), the nation's second strongest softball conference.
After steadily improving the team's record in her first three years, Letts guided the Rams to a sensational 1997 campaign. In 1997, Colorado State won a school-record 51 games, won the WAC title and earned a berth in the NCAA Regionals, where the Rams nearly advanced to the Women's College World Series. The NCAA Regional appearance was Colorado State's first in the softball program's 21-year history. For her efforts, Letts was named the West Region Coach of the Year and the WAC Coach of the Year in 1997.
During her five seasons, Letts compiled a 155-105-1 overall record and coached 14 All-WAC selections, nine All-West Region picks, one WAC Player of the Year and one WAC Freshman of the Year. Last year, Letts guided the Rams to a 30-21 record.
"I am so excited to be a part of Ole Miss," said Letts. "The key point that attracted me to Ole Miss softball program is the challenge it presents. I want to come in and help build the young program into one of the best in the Southeastern Conference, which is quickly becoming one of the top fastpitch softball leagues in the country.
"Another attraction for Ole Miss is the pride that the University has. I want the players to feel great about playing for Ole Miss. I want the players to feel that same pride in the Rebel softball program and the University."
Prior to her time at Colorado State, Letts served as an assistant coach at Creighton University, her alma mater, from 1988-93. During that five-year period, the Bluejays earned NCAA Regional berths two times and were ranked in the top 20 three times.
A 1983 graduate of Creighton, Letts pitched for four seasons and helped lead the Bluejays to three consecutive Women's College World Series appearances. During her playing career, Letts recorded a 0.76 ERA, 43 victories, 16 saves and 276 strikeouts. In 1982, Letts led the nation in saves with nine, which still ranks as the second highest single-season total in NCAA history.
A native of Manchester, Iowa, Letts was inducted into the Iowa High School Pitcher's Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Iowa High School Hall of Fame in 1996.
Ole Miss finished its second season of play in 1998 with a 26-40 overall record and a 9-20 mark in the SEC.
