Thursday, August 6, 2015
by Central Washington Media Relations

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Aug. 6) -- Central Washington University Director of Athletics, Dennis Francois, has announced the hiring of Mike Larabee as the Wildcats' new softball coach.
 
"We are very excited to welcome Mike Larabee back home to Washington and to our coaching staff," Francois said.  "Coach Larabee brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to a program with a strong history of success, and we are extremely confident in his ability to lead our young women to continued success in their academic pursuits and our softball program to a level of national prominence."
 
Larabee, a native of Kent, Wash. spent the last six seasons as the head coach the University of Arkansas, a NCAA Division I member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and is eager to come back to Washington State.
 
"I have been away from Washington for the last 14 years," Larabee said.  "My parents live here and a large portion of my family is scattered around the state, it feels great to be coming back home,"
 
He will be taking over a Wildcat team that missed out on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs last year despite being the preseason favorite to win the conference after going to the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2014.  The Wildcats return virtually the entire 2015 roster after losing just two players to graduation.
 
"The previous coaching staff at CWU did a great job of obtaining a very talented team and the first thing I checked after looking over the roster was the location of the World Series in 2016." Larabee added.  "It will be our goal to compete for a championship and the pieces are in place to make that happen."
 
Larabee guided the Arkansas Razorbacks to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and 2013, reaching the regional final for the first time in school history in 2012 and again the following season.
 
Under the tutelage of Larabee the Razorbacks set single-season records in batting average (.304), runs scored (359), RBI (325), Walks (231), slugging Percentage (.484), on base percentage (.410), triples (14) and sacrifice flies (15).   His teams had a reputation for scoring runs as they ranked 11^th in the nation in runs scored in 2014 and three of the programs' five highest homerun totals have come under Larabee including 61 homeruns in 2013, which ranks second-best in school history.
 
Prior to Arkansas Larabee was the head coach at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio from 2004-09'.  He led the Raiders to two NCAA Tournament appearances (2007, 2008), with both teams ranking in the top-15 in batting average.  In his final three seasons at Wright State Larabee won 92 games including 34 in 2009, which was second-most in school history.
 
In addition to his collegiate experience as a coach, Larabee spent six years as an assistant coach for the USA Women's National Team helping the United States to gold medal finishes in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico and the World University Games in Taiwan in 2006.
 
Before joining the coaching ranks, Larabee played baseball at Washington State where he earned a bachelors of science in physical education and a masters of science in exercise science.
 
He spent 17 years playing men's fastpitch softball and was a member of the USA men's national team placing fourth in 1996 and won a bronze medal in 2000.
During that time, Larabee taught in the Kent School District at Meridian Junior High and Kentlake High School.  He spent six years coaching at the high school level, two years at Kentridge and four at Kentlake, where he held a 145-25 record winning six-straight SPSL North league titles qualifying for state each year.  In 2001 his Kentlake team was the Academic State Champions, earning the top GPA in its classification.
 
Coach Larabee and his wife Dawn have been married for 24 years. Dawn works as a registered nurse for an orthopedic surgeon in Fayetteville, Ark. and the couple has two children, Michaela and John. 
 
Michaela just finished her four-year softball career at Hendrix College and will be heading to Georgetown University in pursuit of a masters degree in sports industry management.  John is starting his second year at West Point Military Academy, and was a two-time all-state football player in high school.
 
Larabee will become just the third coach in CWU softball history, replacing Mallory Holtman-Fletcher who retired in June.
 
Mike Larabee as a Coach
Head Coach: Arkansas (2010-2015) – Two NCAA Tournament Appearances (2012, 2013)
Head Coach: Wright State (2005-09) – Two NCAA Tournament Appearances (2007, 2008), Two Horizon League Tournament Championships
Assistant Coach: USA National Team (2005-08, 2009-12)
Assistant Coach: University of Illinois (2002-04) – First ever NCAA Tournament appearance (2003)
Head Coach: Kentlake HS (1998-2001)
Head Coach: Kentridge HS (1996-1997)
 
Mike Larabee as a Player
U.S. National Men's Fastpitch Team, 1996, 2000
Pan American Games National Team Festival, 1999
Played in the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival four times (Los Angeles, San Antonio, St. Louis, Denver)
Honors: Twice named ISC All-World (1990, 1997); Three-time American Softball Association All-American (1992, 1995, 1997)
Played men's major open fastpitch softball from 1988-2000
Played baseball at Washington State, and Green River and MiraCosta community colleges