Investigation reveals firings of NMSU softball coaches amid misconduct claims

The Las Cruces Sun-News uncovered that former New Mexico State softball head coach Kathy Rodolph and associate coach Catherine Heifner were terminated in October 2025, not retired as publicly claimed, while a separate investigation found multiple sexual misconduct reports within the program.

An investigation by the Las Cruces Sun-News determined that New Mexico State University terminated softball head coach Kathy Rodolph and associate coach Catherine Heifner in October 2025, despite the school’s public framing of the departures as retirements or transitions. The inquiry also uncovered a series of sexual misconduct complaints filed with the university’s Office of Institutional Equity from 2021 to 2024, describing a toxic environment that included harassment and assault allegations involving team members.

University representatives maintained that those Title IX cases did not involve the softball program itself and offered no specific reason for the coaches' dismissals. Internal documents show one outlet director, Joe Fields, identified a "sensitive matter" shortly after assuming his role, leading to the terminations. Benet Higgs, a former assistant, was appointed interim coach for the 2026 season and was later confirmed as the permanent head coach after the Aggies posted a 27-27 record. The university has continued to withhold further details about the reasons behind the firings.