The Hawkeyes have missed the Big Ten Tournament for the third time in the last five years, an unthinkable place for a program that used to be a perennial NCAA participant under Gayle Blevins.
When legendary head coach Gayle Blevins retired as Iowa softball's head coach following the 2010 season, the Hawkeyes were one of the most respected softball programs in the country.
Iowa's somewhat mediocre 25-23 mark that year meant it would miss out on the NCAA tournament for just the second time in the 21st century, but the future of the program was still very bright if athletics director Gary Barta could find the right replacement.
Expecting the next coach to duplicate Blevins' remarkable accomplishments - 16 NCAA berths, five Big Ten regular season championships, and four Women's College World Series runs - wasn't fair to her successor, but no one could've expected what has transpired in the 16 years that followed.
The Hawkeyes never had a losing season in Blevins' 23 seasons in charge, but have compiled a poor record of 335-415-1 (.446) since. That's certainly not a figure Barta and Co. thought they'd ever see, but that's the reality now.
In an era where the Iowa athletics department is historically performing at an all-time high, the softball program continues to be one of, if not the worst program in the department.
Iowa is notoriously a difficult place to win due to its less-than-ideal climate for softball, but recording six winning seasons in over a decade and a half years of play is clearly not the direction this program needs to be going in.
The Hawkeyes haven't made the NCAA tournament since 2009, but just qualifying for the 12-team Big Ten tournament has been a struggle, too. Iowa's 2026 campaign came to a screeching halt on Sunday afternoon, which saw the Hawkeyes blow a 5-2 lead against Purdue to cost them the final Big Ten tournament spot.
Blown leads were a common theme of head coach Stacy May-Johnson's first Iowa team, but barring transfers, she returns a good chunk of her roster next season (only four seniors on the team).
Iowa has had three head coaches since Blevins' retirement. Marla Looper managed just 172 victories in eight seasons, but the program finally appeared to turn the corner under Renee Luers-Gillispie after winning 35 games and the National Invitational Softball Championship in 2023, but she stepped down a year later due to health concerns.
May-Johnson went 27-27 (7-17 in Big Ten play) in her first season, but there's a few reasons to be optimistic. She's the first coach of the three to be hired by current AD Beth Goetz, who is credited for the Hawkeyes' overall athletic success.
The 41-year-old May-Johnson was also a three-time All-Big Ten honoree under Blevins, so bringing an alum from the glory days could work well for Iowa.
It's not out of the question for the Hawkeyes to be a successful softball program again, but as it stands in May 2026, they've go a lot of work to return to Big Ten and national relevance.
Looking for a FREE Hawkeyes community?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected!
Missed the Caitlin Clark jersey giveaway?
No problem! Become a FREE HawkeyeRoundtable community member today to have a chance to win future Hawkeye prizes! We'll continue the giveaways throughout the year and may or may not have one coming later this month, so stay tuned!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io