Shortly after the Michigan softball team announced Carol Hutchins' retirement last week, it named former assistant coach Bonnie Tholl as its fourth head coach in program history.

Tholl spent 29 seasons as Hutchins' top assistant, and experienced a majority of Michigan's success throughout the years. She took to Twitter last week to express her feelings after being named head coach.

"It's with tremendous excitement that I stand before you today as the chosen leader of Michigan softball — this storied program," Tholl said in an introductory press conference on Monday afternoon.

Tholl has undoubtedly had her footprints all over the Michigan program. She was a four-year starter at shortstop for the Wolverines from 1988-91 before departing for a graduate assistant role at Indiana.

She stayed with the Hoosiers for two seasons, and returned to Ann Arbor in 1994 to join Hutchins' coaching staff.

It didn't take long for Tholl to honor her predecessor during her press conference.

"The impact of Carol Hutchins on this program, the sport of softball, coaches around the country and the athletes she has coached is truly immeasurable," said Tholl. "I am not standing here today if it wasn't for the education of Carol Hutchins."

After her many "thank yous," Tholl began to outline her plan for the Michigan softball program.

"The standard to excellence will be upheld," Tholl said. "In ways that we train, in ways that we study and in ways that we compete."

Tholl also promised that her team will be championship-minded.

"Oklahoma City is not just a destination for the Women's College World Series, it will be a mindset in our program," said Tholl. "That mindset will permeate every inch of how we behave, how we communicate and what we do on a daily basis."

Tholl then outlined her approach to recruiting more top talent, which is something she says Michigan has "done well here for a while."

"Our priorities will be, in this order, it will be pitching, offensive prowess and multi-positional players," Tholl said.

Filling the shoes of the winningest softball coach in NCAA history is no easy task, but Tholl insists that her job isn't to fill Hutchins' shoes.

"I'm not here to fill the shoes of Carol Hutchins," said Tholl. "I'm here to be a steward of the program."

The 2023 softball season will be Tholl's 34th year in the Michigan softball program, and her 30th as a coach. She played for, and coached under one of the greatest college coaches of all time, and will now look to carry on all that she has learned as she takes over the Michigan softball program.

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