LAS CRUCES, N.M. – On Wednesday, NM State Athletics announced a transition in leadership for the softball program. Head Coach Kathy Rodolph and Associate Head Coach Cat Heifner will be moving on from their roles with the program. Assistant Coach Benet Higgs will serve as the interim head coach for the 2026 season. 
 
Rodolph served as the 11^th coach in program history, leading NM State from 2004-25. Her 22 seasons were far more than any other coach, as Greg Berry's five years (1986-90) still stand as the second-longest tenure. 
 
Assistant Coach Benet Higgs will serve as the Aggies' interim head coach for the 2026 season. Higgs joined the program during the summer of 2023 and is entering her third season in Las Cruces. The former Stony Brook assistant has been focused primarily on defense, also serving as a recruiting coordinator for more than a decade. Since Higgs' arrival, the Aggies have earned 57 wins and eight all-CUSA awards across two seasons.
 
Prior to her time in Las Cruces, Higgs spent 12 years as an assistant coach, including seven seasons at Stony Brook. There, she helped the Seawolves amass 60 wins over her final two seasons, marking the most by any team in the Coastal Athletic Association during that stretch.
 
She has also previously spent time on staff at Bradley (2014-17), Army (2012-13) and South Dakota State (2011). As a player, Higgs competed at Stephen F. Austin, where she played centerfield and shortstop, while switch-hitting at the plate.
 
NM State Director of Athletics Joe Fields, on the news: "We want to thank Kathy and Cat for their dedication to NM State Softball and their contributions to building the program. As we look ahead, we're confident that Benet Higgs has the experience and leadership to guide the team through this transition. We're excited about the future of Aggies Softball and remain committed to supporting our student-athletes and position the program for continued success."
 
NM State Director of Athletics Joe Fields has also announced that the department will conduct a national search at the appropriate time for a softball coach beyond the 2026 campaign. Details regarding the search will be announced at a later time.
 
For complete coverage of NM State Softball during the 2026 season, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Softball), Twitter (@NMStateSoftball) and Instagram (@NMStateSoftball).