Photos: University of Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea, who announced his retirement
-
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
- Updated
Mike Candrea was hired as the University of Arizona softball coach in 1985. He announced retirement after 36 seasons.
Candrea is the winningest coach in NCAA softball history. In 2019, he became the fastest coach in NCAA history, any division, any sport, to accumulate 1,600 wins. He has led Arizona to eight national championships, more than any coach in NCAA Softball history. Arizona made 23 trips to the Women's College World Series under his leadership, missing just eight times in the last 32 years. During Candrea's tenure, 51 players were All-Americans.
Mike Candrea, retirement
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea takes a moment to gather his thoughts a press conference at McKale Center on June 8, 2021.
Mike Candrea, retirement
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea talks with two former players, K'Lee Arredondo, left, and Cyndi Duran, before start of his retirement press conference at McKale Center on June 8, 2021.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona Head Coach Mike Candrea walks with the wildcats in a huddle after Arizona's loss to Florida State in 2021 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City on June 5, 2021.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea with senior catcher Karen Koebensky during practice in 1988.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
University of Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea during practice in 1988.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Athletic director Jim Livengood, right, introduces University of Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea during a ceremony honoring the team's fourth NCAA National Championship at Hillenbrand Stadium on May 28, 1996.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Legendary University of Arizona baseball coach Jerry Kindall greets his equal in University of Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea during a ceremony honoring the team's fourth NCAA National Championship at Hillenbrand Stadium on May 28, 1996.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
UA softball head coach Mike Candrea (left) and UA golf head coach Todd McCorkle were both vying for national championships in 2000.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea consoles Leticia "Lety" Pineda after a tough loss to Fresno State in the College World Series in 1998.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea with Jennie Finch, Caitlin Lowe, Chelsie Mesa and Taryne Mowatt following a game between the National Pro Fastpitch All-Stars team and the Wildcat softball team at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2010.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
University of Arizona coach Mike Candrea hugs senior Samantha Quintero during a special senior recognition ceremony after the game against Oregon State on at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2004,.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea hits grounders to the infielders and pitchers including Jennie Fench during the 2000 Women's College World Series.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
UA coach Mike Candrea talks to Toni Mascarenas after Arizona lost to the Oklahoma Sooners and were eliminated from the 2000 Women's College World Series.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona coach Mike Candrea is showered with water Monday, May 28, 2001, after his team defeated UCLA, 1-0, in the NCAA Division I Softball championship game in Oklahoma City.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona softball head coach Mike Candrea, right, talks with left fielder Autumn Champion during the fourth inning against Tulsa at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2005.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea talks with an NCAA official about a questionable call at first base that ended the game 1-0 in favor of Tennessee in the 2006 College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Pitcher Taryne Mowatt hugs coach Mike Candrea after Arizona beat Tennessee in Game 2 of the 2007 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea shares a few words with pitcher, Kenzie Fowler after the Wildcats beat Tennessee 5-2 to advance to the championship finals at the 2010 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Head coach Mike Candrea cheers with his team after they beat Tennessee in game 3 of the championship series at the 2007 College World Series held in Oklahoma City.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Mike Candrea rides on the shoulders of American players including former UA All-American Jennie Finch, center, after winning the 2004 Olympic title game. Candrea, who took a year off from coaching the UA to guide the U.S. women, lost his wife, Sue, in July after complications from a brain aneurysm.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Mike Candrea chats with Sarah Akamine at the end of the fifth inning during the championship game against UCLA at the 2010 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea tosses grounders to infielders during the first day of practice on January 12, 2009 at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
UA softball coach Mike Candrea, with wife Tina, keeps track during selection day of where his team will be placed for the first round of the 2012 NCAA Softball Tournament.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona's heas coach Mike Candrea kisses injured pitcher Sarah Akamine during 2010 senior day.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Head coach Mike Candrea argues with an NCAA softball official after Caitlin Lowe was called out at second trying to steal against Mississippi State in the 2007 NCAA Regionals at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea watches as Kristie Fox slides safely into third for a triple as Oregon State University third base Sherina Galvan waits for the ball in 2007.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
UCLA coach Sue Enquist is cracking-up as she is answering questions about funny things that happened to her and her team this year as UA coach Mike Candrea smiles during a Q&A session at the 2003 Women's College World Series.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Mike Candrea talks with starting pitcher Shelby Babcock in between innings against Arizona State at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2011.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea takes a moment to think during the first game of the 2005 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Mike Candrea takes a moment to gather his thoughts before talking to his team after a loss to Arizona State at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2011.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
UA first baseman Baillie Kirker is congratulated by Mike Candrea after a two-run homer in an NCAA Regional game against Texas Tech in 2011.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
UA head coach Mike Candrea isn't happy with his team in the top of the third inning against Oklahoma in the 2011 NCAA Super Regional at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
A silk rose is placed behing home plate at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2006 in honor of head coach Mike Candrea's wife, who died of cancer.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea has a hard time finding the words as he tries to talk to his team following their loss to Oklahoma 5-2 in the 2011 NCAA Super Regional game. This was only Arizona's second time in 24 years to not advance to the College World Series.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
UA softball head coach Mike Candrea leans down and kisses the cheek of his shortstop player Michelle Churnock as she lies on a stretcher after breaking her leg in a double play situation against South Florida in 1999.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Head coach Mike Candrea watches his players batting during a practice at Hillenbrand Stadium on January 23, 2020.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Head coach Mike Candrea gets his players to smile during warm-ups at the University of Arizona Wildcats softball practice at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2017,
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Head coach Mike Candrea hits fungo to outfielders during the University of Arizona Wildcats softball practice at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2017.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona coach Mike Candrea reacts after Arizona outfielder Mandie Perez (55) got hung up between bases and thrown out a third against Southern Utah in the bottom of the fourth inning of the opener of both the Hillenbrand Invitational and the Wildcats season at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2016.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona shortstop Kellie Fox (29) fist bumps head coach Mike Candrea as she rounds third after a first-inning home run during the University of Arizona vs. UTEP softball game in 2014.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona's Hannah Martinez (2) gets a congratulatory fist bump from coach Mike Candrea after lacing a two-RBI triple against Kent State in the fourth inning of their game in the Wildcat Invitational at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2019.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Cedric Dempsey, left, the former University of Arizona athletic director has a laugh with UA softball coach Mike Candrea as they await the introduction of Dave Heeke as the athletic director in 2017.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Mike Candrea trots onto the field with his Wildcats for pre-game fielding drills before a game against South Dakota at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2018.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona Mike Candrea talks with starting pitcher Taylor McQuillin (18) after the Wildcats gave up three runs to New Mexico State in the sixth inning of their game at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2018.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea unsuccessfully tries to will Katiyana Mauga back to the bag ahead of the tag by Oregon third baseman Jenna Lilley (0) after she overran the bag at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2017.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona coach Mike Candrea watches a batter during their Pac-12 game against UCLA at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2016.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona Mike Candrea sprays ground balls to his infielders as the Wildcats prepare to face Oregon State at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2016,
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona outfielder Katiyana Mauga bumps fists with head coach Mike Candrea as she rounds the bases following a three-run homer during the first inning of the University of Oregon vs. University of Arizona Wildcats in 2015.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Coach Mike Candrea kisses softball stand out Katiyana Mauga, the school's record setting hitter, during the first-ever University of Arizona student-athlete convocation in Tucson on May 11, 2017. Around 95 students received their degrees with all the pomp and circumstance inside the McKale Center in front of family and friends.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona's coach Mike Candrea watches as Chelsea Suitos slides safely into third as Minnesota's Sam Macken catches the ball in the first inning during second game of the NCAA regional championship game at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2015.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona third baseman Katiyana Mauga (34) exchanges high-fives with head coach Mike Candrea after ripping a solo homer to put the Wildcats up 1-0 against South Carolina in the third inning of their NCAA Regional game at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2017.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea reloads to hit another ground ball while working out his infielder just before first pitch against South Carolina in their NCAA Regional championship game at Hillenbrand Stadium in 2017.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Former Arizona Wildcat Jennie Finch says Candrea remains βa second father to us all.β
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea meets coach Clint Myers at the fence in Auburn, Ala., in 2016.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona's head coach Mike Candrea listens from dais during a press conference the day before the games start in the NCAA Women's College World Series, Wednesday, May 29, 2019, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona's head coach Mike Candrea tracks the game from his perch at the end of the Wildcats bench against Washington in their first round game on the opening day of play in the 2019 NCAA Women's College World Series.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona's head coach Mike Candrea meets his infield in the circle as the Wildcats try to stem the bleeding in wild top half of the the seventh inning that ended with them down 6-1 to UCLA in their winner's bracket game on day two of the 2019 NCAA Women's College World Series.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Players cheer as Arizona head coach Mike Candrea dances during a rain delay in their NCAA softball regional game against Ohio State Friday, May 20, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The game was called due to inclement weather.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona's players gather around head coach Mike Candrea just before taking the field against Mississippi in Game 2 of the NCAA Super Regional at Hillenbrand Stadium, May 25, 2019.
Mike Candrea, Arizona softball
Updated
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea watches his Wildcats warm up in the final moments before first pitch against New Mexico State at Hillenbrand Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., April 9 2021.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
As featured on
Mike Candrea is retiring as head coach of the Arizona Wildcats after 36 years, and a former Wildcat will be replacing him.
Former players, colleagues gather in McKale Center to honor Mike Candrea in McKale Center.
Greg Hansen is counting down the top 100 sports figures in Tucson history. Up next: No. 4, recently retired Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea.
