Linda Garza resigns from Nevada softball team after two seasons as head coach

Nevada softball coach Linda Garza, who appeared to be in the middle of building one of the strongest teams on campus, has resigned from her position.

Garza led the Wolf Pack for two seasons, which included a 14-victory increase last year. Nevada announced the move Tuesday afternoon, with Garza saying she was moving back home to Fresno for family responsibilities. A source with knowledge of the decision said Garza told her team during a Tuesday on-campus meeting she has accepted the head softball job at Fresno City College. That program has an opening but has not named a successor to former head coach Haley Janzer.

"First and foremost, I wish to express my deep love for the Nevada softball program, its players, our staff and the university," Garza said in a statement released by Nevada athletics. "I am grateful for the trust President (Brian) Sandoval and Stephanie Rempe have invested in me and my staff to lead the softball program. President Sandoval embodies everything that is right in higher education and his integrity is truly inspiring. Stephanie Rempe's visionary outlook and unwavering dedication to our direction forward are truly remarkable. The support extended to me by President Sandoval and Stephanie has not gone unnoticed, and I hold them both in the highest regard. I cherish this team, university and the backing we receive from our administration and the Reno community. This makes the decision before me all the more challenging.

"Six years ago, I lost my mom and brother unexpectedly and assumed a larger role within my family. In doing so, I've placed my own mental well-being on hold in order to navigate these trying times. Family is the cornerstone to me. It’s a major piece of this Nevada program. I have been presented with an opportunity in my hometown — while I understand that the timing is far from ideal, I cannot overlook an opportunity that promises to restore my personal well-being, reunite my family and enable me to continue doing what I love. This decision is personal, not driven by ambition for advancement, financial gains or any hidden agenda; it is solely driven by my role as a daughter and my commitment to being where I need and want to be.”

In Garza's first season at Nevada, the Wolf Pack went 17-35 overall and 7-17 in the Mountain West. Last year, those numbers improved to 31-19 overall and 10-12 in league when the team played in its first MW Tournament, finishing in third. Nevada went 19-2 to start last season and finished 117th out of 306 Division I teams in RPI. Nevada's 31 wins were the program's most since the Wolf Pack won 32 games in 2016.

Nevada was poised to take another step forward in 2024 as all but one player on last year's team had remaining eligibility. That included returning All-MW stalwarts Chelie Senini and Aaliyah Jenkins as well as top pitchers Blake Craft, Tyra Clary and Carley Brown, each of whom posted an ERA below 3.30 last season.

The Wolf Pack will not name an interim coach and will instead start a national search to find a long-term solution to run the softball program. Current Nevada assistant coaches Nathan Ohta and Marina Demore are expected to stay on staff and lead the team before a new head coach is hired.

"I would like to express my complete support of Coach Garza's decision," Nevada athletic director Stephanie Rempe said in a news release. "Linda is making the best decision for herself and her family, and we wholly respect and support that. Linda has been an exceptional role model and advocate for her student-athletes, her program and for the growth of Nevada softball. On and off the field, she fought for her program and was a supportive voice not only for her own student-athletes, but all women's student-athletes at Nevada. She has been instrumental to our continued growth and efforts in making Christina M. Hixson Softball Park one of the top venues in the Mountain West. We will immediately begin a national search for the next head coach of Nevada softball."

Garza was Fresno State's head coach for five seasons before getting the Nevada job in July 2021. Garza stepped down at Fresno State on June 15 after she took a leave of absence from the program in April following allegations of an altercation with one of her players during a game. She was then hired by then-Nevada athletic director Doug Knith. Garza also has been the head coach at UC Riverside and Wright State and had assistant stops at Cal Poly, Purdue, Tulsa and Arkansas. She earned a strong reputation inside Nevada softball's locker room for being more than a coach and an inspiration for the players.

"Two of the best years I’ve had playing this sport," Jenkins said in a tweet. "Thank you for teaching me how to love the sport all over again. Thank you for caring about me not only as an athlete but a person as well. So much love Linda Garza. Always behind you."

Tweeted Clary: "Not just a coach, so much more than that. A role model, a strong woman and the best leader this team could have asked for. Thank you for taking a chance on a kid who just wanted to come home. Indescribable amount of love and respect for you Linda Garza. Welcome home."

Nevada softball was reinstated in 2003 and found almost instant success, reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2006, 2008 and 2009. It won WAC titles those same seasons, including the 2006 tournament and 2008 and 2009 regular-season crowns. That level of success has not been sustained since Nevada entered the MW in 2012. Since joining the conference, the Wolf Pack's top MW finish was a tie for third in 2016 when it went 32-15 overall and 10-10 in league play.

Garza was the fourth head coach for Nevada softball since the program was reinstated in 2003, following Michelle Gardner, Matt Meuchel and Josh Taylor. Meuchel left for an assistant job at Arkansas in 2017 and Taylor accepted the Louisiana Tech head job in 2021. The Wolf Pack has upgraded its softball facilities over the last year, including the addition of a $3 million playing surface prior to the 2023 campaign. More improvements are in the plans to the infrastructure around Hixson Softball Park, which opened in 2007.

Watch our NSN Tonight segment on Linda Garza's departure below.