After “several previous conversations” with Auburn athletic director John Cohen, Mickey Dean decided to do what he felt was best for the Auburn softball program: step down as head coach at the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Dean’s decision to retire was officially announced in a press release Tuesday night.

“I came to Athletic Director John Cohen this week after several previous conversations with him and made the difficult decision to step down as the head coach of the Auburn softball program at the conclusion of this season,” Dean said in the release. “This was my decision and while it was a difficult one, it is what I felt was best for me and the program moving forward to allow me to focus time on personal matters.”

According to the release, Dean will continue to serve as a “special assistant to the athletic director” following the 2024 season, which will be his seventh as Auburn’s head coach.

The good news for Cohen is he’ll have ample time to sift through candidates as there’s still about six weeks left of the college softball season.

And in the case of Auburn’s program, perhaps now more than ever, it’s vital Cohen get it right.

As of Tuesday’s announcement, nine of the 13 SEC softball programs ranked inside the top 25 of ESPN/USA Softball’s college softball rankings.

And while Auburn isn’t one of those teams after a 15-9-1 (2-7 SEC) start to the 2024 season, the Tigers are still receiving votes in the polls — as are South Carolina, Kentucky and Ole Miss.

That means each of the 13 softball teams in the SEC are either ranked inside the top 25 or are right on the outside looking in — and that speaks volumes to how competitive of a league SEC softball is.

However, if the league is competitive now, what does one expect it to look like when Oklahoma and Texas, the first- and second- ranked teams in the country right now, join next year?

In SEC softball, it’s about to be “eat or be eaten.” Or, rather, “stay ahead or fall way, way behind.”

And that’s why the hiring of Auburn’s next softball coach really matters.

All that said, who are some potential, way-too-early candidates for the vacancy? An alphabetical run-down:

Emily Carosone — Auburn assistant coach

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Auburn’s next head coach comes from inside the program as the Tigers currently have former Auburn standout Emily Carosone on their staff. Carosone, who played for Auburn 2013-16, was elevated to associate head coach in August after having just finished up her third season as an assistant back at her alma mater. Based on the promotion, it’s clear Carosone is committed to Auburn’s success and shows great promise as a young coach. However, again, given the need to get this hire right, now might not be the time to roll the dice on someone without head coaching experience.

Pete D’Amour — Virginia Tech head coach

Another name to watch as Auburn looks to replace Dean is Virginia Tech head coach Pete D’Amour, who is in his sixth season at the helm of the Hokies’ program. At Virginia Tech, D’Amour is 215-65-1 and has led the Hokies to four straight NCAA Tournaments. Before being hired at Virginia Tech, D’Amour spent two seasons as Kennesaw State’s head coach, which was preceded by him spending 10 seasons as an assistant at Missouri.

Gerry Glasco — Louisiana head coach

Gerry Glasco is a name Auburn fans might’ve heard before. That’s because Glasco spent very, very brief amount of time at Auburn in 2017, when he was announced as an assistant coach under Dean. However, just two months after his arrival, Glasco was poached by the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana and has served as ULL’s head coach ever since. Coming into this season, Glasco has compiled a 255-69 record at Louisiana and has led the Ragin’ Cajuns to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Jimmy Kolaitis — Arizona State assistant coach

Should Auburn look for a guy with lots of area ties, Arizona State assistant coach Jimmy Kolaitis could be the guy. While currently out in Arizona, Kolaitis previously served as UAB’s head coach (2018-20) and as an assistant at South Alabama (2009-13). Kolaitis also spent five seasons as an assistant at Oregon from 2014-18, helping the Ducks win four Pac-12 titles, finish ranked No. 1 in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and make four trips to the Women’s College World Series. Meanwhile, during his time at ASU, the Sun Devils have won a Pac-12 championship and has made a pair of appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Before starting his softball coaching career, Kolaitis was an assistant baseball coach at his Auburn-area alma mater, Lee Scott Academy, and helped the Warriors win a AISA state title in 2002.

Samantha Ricketts — Mississippi State head coach

Samantha Ricketts is a name Auburn athletic director John Cohen is familiar with after he hired her to take the reins of the Mississippi State program following the 2019 season. In her four complete seasons in Starkville, Ricketts has compiled a 135-80 record, led the Mississippi State program to its first ever NCAA Super Regional in 2022 and helped the program land three top-10 recruiting classes. Ricketts spent her playing career at the University of Oklahoma, where she played under legendary head coach Patty Gasso, who has led the Sooners to seven national championships and counting.

Marissa Young — Duke head coach

Duke head coach Marissa Young inherited a unique situation when she was named head coach of Duke’s inaugural softball team in 2015. Since then, Young has gone on to compile a 213-97 record with the Blue Devils. In 2021, Young led Duke to its first ever ACC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. Prior to her time at Duke, Young coached stints at UNC and Eastern Michigan. Young also spent four seasons at the helm of Concordia University — a NAIA program that went from 2-20 to 23-23 in less than three seasons under her watch.