157. Courtney Deifel: Program Built

When Courtney Deifel arrived at Arkansas ahead of the 2016 season, the Razorbacks were one of the cellar dwellers of the SEC. The program had won just 18 total SEC games in the three previous seasons, and Deifel’s first team won just a single conference game. But she saw the potential for a turnaround. Since that first season, Deifel and her team have been setting records, including winning the program’s first SEC titles in 2021 and 2022. But winning isn’t everything. Deifel’s program is making an impact on softball, especially in the Natural State. Winning the SEC—while a remarkable achievement considering where the program was—isn’t the end game. This program, under Courtney Deifel, is ready for new heights.