Rae Lynn Dennis was no stranger to coaching when former Faith Academy softball coach Woodie Head approached her about helping with the team.

Dennis played high school softball at B.C. Rain and had coached daughter Amy in travel softball. Amy played both softball and basketball for Faith under Head.

After 18 years with the program, the past 15 as head softball coach, Dennis is stepping down as softball coach. She’ll continue as assistant athletic director while Sydney Skoda will take over as softball coach.

“It’s just a new season of life,” Dennis said. “I’ve been the assistant athletic director at Faith, but I’m taking more of a lead role and I had a great assistant that was ready to take over in Sidney Skoda.”

Dennis posted a 385-216-5 career record during her 15 seasons as head coach, including multiple state tournament appearances. The Rams twice finished third at the state championship tournament, including 2011 when Amy was a senior. Faith was also regional champion that season.

“It absolutely was a pleasure to watch my daughter grow and to leave and go to UAB that year that she was a senior and we actually made it to state,” Dennis said. “Just watching her grow over the years and then pitching all those years to get us where we were. She just, she’s my heart.”

The younger Dennis started all four years at UAB while other notable players under Dennis included Lacey Fincher, who finished at Georgia in 2022, and Gabby Stagner, currently playing at South Alabama.

Skoda is a native of Slidell, La., and played softball at Northshore High School before playing at LSU under Beth Torina and finishing in 2019. LSU earned two College World Series appearances and two Super Regional appearances during Skoda’s four years.

She began assisting Faith Academy softball in 2021.

“She is very knowledge,” Dennis said of Skoda. “Actually, this year I kind of took a role of working with pitchers and catchers and let her handle the defense and offense preparation.

“She’s just amazing. She knows all aspects of the game and she’s not just teaching them the fundamentals of softball, but she’s teaching them way more than that. She’s teaching them how to be good leaders, good players, good mamas one day, all of those things, all of those aspects of the game. She’s going to be amazing.”