Arizona Softball coach Mike Candrea retires, hires legend Caitlin Lowe

It’s an end of an era Arizona Softball as longtime head coach Mike Candrea is retiring after 36 years. Wildcat legend Caitlin Lowe will replace him.

All good things must come to an end, and after a marvelous, 36-year run in Tucson, Arizona Softball head coach Mike Candrea is retiring, and former Wildcat legend Caitlin Lowe is taking over.

After much speculation about this being Candrea’s last season, just days after the Wildcats’ run in Oklahoma City came to an unceremonious end, Candrea is moving on, officially announcing his retirement on Monday afternoon.

Arizona Wildcats

How do you replace a legend like Candrea that not only revolutionized the game of softball but put Tucson on the map? Well, you bring in another legend with deep Arizona ties of course!

Following the announcement of Mike Candrea retiring, the Wildcats wasted little time in naming former Wildcat legend, Caitlin Lowe as the successor.

A standout player at Arizona from 2004-07, Caitlin would rack up plenty of accolades in her softball career at Arizona, winning titles in 2006 and 07, becoming an All-American, and Top 10 Finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

She would follow a tremendous Collegiate career by winning Gold at the World Cup of Softball (2007), Gold at the Pan American Games (2007), and Silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Over the years, Caitlin has done it all, and after a spectacular softball career, she turned her skills to coach becoming an understudy to Candrea these past few years. Joining the Wildcats in 2018, she has been a big part of the Wildcats’ recent success.

Naturally, given her success and ties to the program, she is the logical choice for Arizona, as the Wildcats keep the hire within the family and hope for Caitlin to be the next great head coach for Arizona Softball.

With Mike’s departure, the news is certainly heartbreaking as it is never easy going through change, nor is it easy coming to grips with the end of a spectacular era. Nonetheless, the Wildcats seem to be in good hands!