Former Alabama softball assistant coach Alyson Habetz has been hired to lead her alma mater after being named the fifth head coach in Louisiana softball history Tuesday.

While Habetz spent the most recent college softball season away from the sport after retiring last August to care for her mother, she previously spent 25 seasons as an assistant on Patrick Murphy’s staff at Alabama.

Hired in 1998 to oversee the Crimson Tide’s outfielders and team offense, Habetz was promoted to associate head coach in 2007 and held that title until her departure in 2023. Habetz helped Alabama to 14 Women’s College World Series appearances and 11 SEC titles during her time in Tuscaloosa.

“I can’t thank Aly enough for her loyalty and servant heart for the past 25 years,” said Murphy at the time of Habetz’s retirement. “It is almost unheard of these days for a coach to stay at one school for so many years. Her legacy at Alabama will be passed down through our current and former players onto the next generation. Anyone who watched us saw her passion and fire on the field and it was always represented in the way we played.”

In taking the reins of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ program, Habetz returns to her old stomping grounds as she played both basketball and softball for Louisiana, which was then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

There in Lafayette, Louisiana, Habetz played for a Ragin’ Cajun staff that featured Murphy, who was a young assistant at the time. Habetz and the Ragin’ Cajuns made an appearance in the 1993 Women’s College World Series.

“I am honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity that Dr. Savoie and Dr. Maggard have provided to lead one of the premiere softball programs in the country at a place I call home, the University of Louisiana,” Habetz said in a press release Tuesday. “This is where my softball journey began and my love for the Ragin’ Cajuns program, its fans, and the community runs deep.”

Habetz takes over for Gerry Glasco, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Texas Tech.

In 2024, Louisiana finished with a 45-19 record, which included winning the Sun Belt’s regular season championship with a 22-2 record.