LAS CRUCES, N.M. – It's official. After one season spent as the interim head coach of the Aggie softball program, Benet Higgs has been elevated to head coach, announced by NM State Director of Athletics Joe Fields. With the promotion, Higgs becomes the 13th head coach in NM State's 52-year history and just the third leader since 2000.
 
"From the moment I asked Coach Higgs to step into this role, her leadership, vision, and commitment to our student-athletes stood out," said NM State Director of Athletics Joe Fields. "She exceeded every expectation and showed exactly what success for our softball program should look like. I'm proud to officially name Coach Higgs our permanent head softball coach and look forward to building a championship program together."
 
"I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to lead New Mexico State Softball, and I'm incredibly thankful to Joe Fields for the trust and belief in me to lead this program," Higgs said. "Over the last year, I've seen the resilience, toughness, and competitiveness of this group firsthand, and I'm excited to continue building a program centered on development, accountability, connection and competing for championships in Conference USA. Las Cruces and NMSU mean a lot to me. There's a lot of pride in this place, and I'm excited for what's ahead for Aggie Softball."
 
This season, Higgs guided the Aggies to 27 wins, including a 16–11 mark in Conference USA play and a No. 5 seed in the 2026 CUSA Softball Championship. In her first season at the helm, Higgs was one of just four first-year coaches nationwide to lead her team to a winning regular-season record.
 
With 27 wins, Higgs became just the third coach in program history to post 25 or more victories in her first season, joining Joann Ferrieri (32 wins) and Lee Ann Jarvis (27 wins). During the year, the Aggies recorded five series wins, a run-rule victory over rival New Mexico and a marquee win over No. 21 Arizona State.
 
Higgs continues her stay in Las Cruces after joining the program in the summer of 2023. The former Stony Brook assistant spent the 2025 season focused primarily on the Aggies' defense while also serving as a recruiting coordinator, a role she has held for more than a decade across multiple stops. Since Higgs' arrival, NM State has earned 84 wins and nine all-CUSA awards across three seasons, including a First Team All-CUSA selection for Faith Aragon in 2026.
 
Across her 17-year coaching career, Higgs has overseen 39 conference weekly award winners, nine team records, 10 career records and 11 season records.
 
Overall, Higgs' teams have posted 10 top-three finishes in conference regular season or tournament play, earning three trips to NCAA Regionals. Fourteen student-athletes under her guidance have been named NFCA All-Region, along with 46 all-conference selections and two league Players of the Year.
 
Prior to her time in Las Cruces, Higgs spent 12 years as an assistant coach, including seven seasons at Stony Brook, where the Seawolves totaled 60 wins over her final two seasons – the most by any Coastal Athletic Association program during that span.
 
She has also served on the coaching staffs at Bradley (2014–17), Army (2012–13) and South Dakota State (2011). As a student-athlete, Higgs competed at Stephen F. Austin as a switch-hitting centerfielder and shortstop.
 
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).