Ruben Felix was named the interim head coach of Ole Miss softball on December 8, 2019 after spending five seasons as an assistant coach for the Rebels, ultimately as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

Along the way up, Felix has played a major role in the Rebels' unprecedented success in recent seasons. Felix has helped the Rebels to a pair of NCAA Super Regionals (2017, 2019), two NCAA Regional Championships (2017, 2019), the 2017 SEC Tournament Championship and the only four NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. Following the Rebels' magical run in 2017, Felix and the rest of the Ole Miss staff were named the NFCA South Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

In his first season as head coach, Felix guided the Rebels to a 12-13 overall record in the shortened 2020 season. The remainder of the campaign was canceled following the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Included among Ole Miss' victories was a nuetral site win over No. 14 Oklahoma State.

The Rebels saw five qualifying players bat above the .300 mark in 2020, the most in a season at Ole Miss since 2015. Among the group was a trio of breakout offensive stars in Mikayla Allee, Autumn Gillespie and Jessica Puk. A .216 hitter during her freshman campaign, Allee's average skyrocketed to a team-high .356 in 2020, posting a gaudy .513 OBP. Gillespie, who entered the season with a .253 average during her first two seasons at Ole Miss, posted a .349 average and did a little bit of everything with a team-best 21 runs, five home runs, two doubles, a triple, 13 RBIs and a team-high 17 walks. Puk also saw an offensive surge, registering a .324 average with seven extra-base hits, pacing the Rebels with 16 RBIs.

Following another run to a regional final in 2018, Felix and the Rebels defied all expectations in 2019. Ole Miss rattled off 41 wins, including 14 over ranked teams and five over Women's College World Series participants, spending the entire season at or near the top of the SEC standings after being picked 12th in the preseason conference poll. The Rebels rode the momentum to a second-ever NCAA Regional hosted in Oxford, going on to claim the regional championship and advance to the Super Regional round for the second time in three seasons.

Part of the reason for the success was a significant uptick in every imaginable offensive category from the previous season. The Rebels set program records for doubles (67), triples (23), RBIs (284) and steals (126), with numerous players enjoying career years. Kylan Becker put a bow on one of the most decorated careers in program history, becoming the second player in Ole Miss history to be named NFCA All-America, receiving a First Team nod in addition to First Team All-America laurels from Softball America. The speedy slapper set single season Rebel records for runs (55), triples (9) and stolen bases (34), leading the SEC with 82 hits. Abbey Latham led the team in home runs for the second straight campaign with 10 long balls, becoming Ole Miss' single season RBI leader with 54 on the year.

His guidance in 2017 helped lead the team to a school-record 43 wins and hosting its first-ever NCAA Regional, before getting within two wins of the Women’s College World Series. Felix mentored the Rebel hitters throughout the 63-game slate, which again broke six offensive records, just two years after all but one of those were broken in he and Mike Smith’s first season together.

The 2017 Rebels broke the single-season school records for runs scored (318), hits (495), triples (16), RBI (274), total bases (677) and walks (187). The offense overpowered opponents multiple times with 12 run-rule victories, including a streak of six-straight early on in the year.

On defense, also an area of expertise for Felix, the Rebels were again very solid, totaling the NCAA’s 15th-best fielding percentage (.975), which ranked fourth-best in the SEC. The defense turned 28 double plays on the year, which also broke the school record.

In his first year full time with the Rebels, his assistance and leadership paid off as the team shattered the wins record with 41 advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.

Just a year after breaking nearly every offensive record the Rebels saw two more hitting records fall under Felix’s guidance. Ole Miss totaled 457 hits in 2016 shattering the previous record of 444 set just a year prior. The Rebels’ patience also paid off as the 184 walks set a new mark, as well as the program-best 126 stolen bases which ranked seventh in the nation.

Felix also coached freshman sensation Hailey Lunderman to one of the best freshman campaigns in the country. Lunderman, a shortstop, was named a Top-10 Finalist for the NFCA/Schutt Sports Division I National Freshman of the Year, and became Ole Miss’ single season hits leader with 76 on the year. Her 76 hits were second-most among all freshmen in the NCAA, and first among freshman hitters in the SEC and seventh overall. Overall, five hitters in the starting lineup saw their seasons end with an average of .300 or better under Felix’s watch.

The Rebel defense also shined all year long finishing second in the SEC in fielding (.978) and fifth nationally, thanks to only 40 errors committed through 63 games, including seven players who committed just two errors or less all season.

Felix came to Ole Miss prior to the 2015 season after four seasons as the top softball assistant coach & recruiting coordinator at the University of Central Florida. In two of his last three seasons at UCF, Felix helped the Knights advance to the NCAA tournament.

While at UCF, Felix coached hitters, infielders, catchers and was the first base coach for the Knights. In 2014 Felix helped UCF to a 43-18 overall record and their first ever American Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship in program history. The 2014 UCF staff was named Coaching Staff of the Year. UCF had three NFCA All-Region selections, a record 15 Academic All-Conference honorees, one Burnett Honors College Scholarship Athlete, five All-Conference players and the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Farrah Sullivan. As a team UCF won the conference hitting title with a .322 average and pitching title with an era of 1.89, and finished second with a fielding% of 968. Nationally UCF finished in the top-10 as a team in pitching with an era of 1.80, 482 strikeouts and 2nd in stolen bases with 132. In the four seasons at UCF Felix coached 17 All-Conference players, six NFCA All-Region selections, one Scholar Athlete of the Year in C-USA, one C-USA Conference Pitcher of the Year, one C-USA Conference Player of the Year, one C-USA Newcomer of the Year, one Team USA Women's Baseball National Team Selection, 13 All America Scholar Athletes and finished in the top-20 in team GPA in NCAA in 2012.

Felix is a native of El Paso, Texas, where he was inducted into the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. Felix began his coaching career in 1999 at Texas Tech University where he coached baseball and softball for the Red Raiders after retiring from professional baseball. Most recently in 2014 Felix was the head baseball coach for the Winter Garden Squeeze of the Florida Collegiate Wood Bat League. In 2012 Felix was the manager for Team USA Baseball in the Women's World Cup where he guided the team to a silver medal against the World Champions Japan in Edmonton, Canada. In 2011 Felix was a manager for Team USA Baseball in the WNT friendship series and was also a scout for the 16U national team. In 2010, Felix helped Team USA Baseball 14U win a bronze medal at the Pan Am Tournament in Managua, Nicaragua, as an assistant coach and scout.

In 2009, while coaching in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles, Felix was asked to be on staff for Team USA Baseball for the World Baseball Classic. While with Team USA Baseball in the World Baseball Classic he had the privilege of coaching MLB All-Stars: Derek Jeter, Dustin Pedrioa, Chipper Jones, Evan Longoria, Ryan Braun, Jake Pevy, Kevin Youkilis, Jimmy Rollins, Adam Dunn, Brain McCann, Curtis Granderson and others. On the Team USA Baseball staff for the World Baseball Classic was Davey Johnson, Barry Larkin, Bill Ripken, Mike Schmidt and others. For the World Baseball Classic Team USA Baseball finished in fourth-place after losing to defending champions Japan in semi-finals at Dodgers Stadium.

Felix's Major League Baseball experience includes two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and three seasons with the Cleveland Indians as an assistant coach. Felix has also coached at the triple-A level for the Culiacan Tomateros in the Mexican Pacific Coast Winter League in 2007. As the head bullpen coach for Culiacan Felix helped former Major Leaguer Jose Silva break the league for saves with 23. Prior to coaching at the professional level Felix was the head/assistant coach at Galveston Junior College in Texas from 2001-2004.

While at Galveston he served as the Whitecaps baseball strength and conditioning coach, baseball operations director and academic coordinator. In the summer of 2001, Felix was an assistant baseball coach for the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Summer League and was also an assistant baseball coach at Trinity High School in Lubbock, Texas where he coached former Seattle Mariners 4th round pick & MLB pitcher Bobby Livingston. In 2000, Felix was an assistant softball coach for his alma mater Texas Tech University where he served as the hitting, infield and catching coach. In 1999, Felix was on staff with Texas Tech baseball as a volunteer coach working with the bullpen and outfield. That season Felix helped the No. 24 Red Raiders to the NCAA regional championship game versus top-ranked Rice. The Red Raiders finished the 1999 baseball season ranked as the top pitching team in the Big 12 Conference.

Prior to the start of his coaching career, Felix played professional baseball for five seasons in the United States and Mexico. He had playing stints with the Los Mochis Sugarcane Growers and Navojoa Mayos of the Mexican Pacific Coast Winter League (AAA), Corpus Christi Barracudas and the Lubbock Crickets of the Texas Louisiana League (AA), and also the Stockton Ports of the California League and the Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League (A) in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Felix was part of two minor league championship teams the 1995 Midwest League Champion Beloit Snappers and 1994 Corpus Christi Barracudas. While playing for the Barracudas Felix was named to the league All-Star team, Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year in 1994 with a record of 7-0, era 2.41 and also led the league in saves with 15.

Felix played his collegiate career with Lubbock Christian University, New Mexico State University, Dodge City Community College and Howard Junior College. Felix was a Jayhawk League All-Star, playing summer league ball for the Elkhart Dusters and helped them to the NBC World Series in 1992. Felix was an All-Conference and All-Region pitcher at Lubbock Christian and Dodge City Community College.

Felix comes from a baseball and fastpitch softball family. His twin brother, Larry, currently plays men's AA-Major fastpitch softball with teams from Texas and Mexico after retiring from playing professional baseball as shortstop/second baseman for 12 seasons for the Oakland A's, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlantic League and the Mexican League. His younger brother Eugene also played professionally at shortstop for the Lafayette Bullfrogs of the Texas/Louisiana League. Felix's father played men's fastpitch for over 30 years for teams from Texas and Mexico. Felix played men's fastpitch during high school and college career with the El Paso Toros and Team Casa softball clubs.

Felix graduated from Texas Tech University in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies. Felix has been married for 17 years to his wife, Michelle, who is a nurse at the Oxford Children's Clinic. They have one son, Matthew Ripken Felix.

Name	Title	Phone	E-mail
Ruben Felix	Interim Head Coach	662-915-7186	rfelix@olemiss.edu
Kim Schuette	Assistant Coach	662-915-7186	ksdorey@olemiss.edu
Damon Haecker	Assistant Coach	662-915-7186	djhaecke@olemiss.edu
Kylan Becker	Volunteer Assistant Coach	662-952-7186	kabecke1@olemiss.edu
Brian Thomas	Coordinator of Operations	662-915-7186	bjthomas@olemiss.edu

The University of Mississippi Athletics

2020 Softball Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff