Choosin' Texas

This week, the Lady Lions’ field fell a little quieter when Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lion softball coach Rick Fremin, the architect behind one of Louisiana softball's most remarkable program turnarounds, accepted a staff position on Wednesday with the University of Texas. The Belle Chase native departs Hammond after 11 seasons, having earned Louisiana Collegiate Coach of the Year three times and the reigning Southland Conference Coach of the Year award, leaving behind a ledger few envisioned when he arrived at SLU in 2016.

Fremin inherited a team that had been treading water: one winning season in eight years and no finish above fifth in Southland play since 2001. What followed was transformation, not incremental improvement. The 2017 squad announced its arrival with an audacious signature: leading Division I in steals.

This was a telling first chapter in a program where speed, savvy and grit became the lingua franca. By 2018, Fremin’s imprint was unmistakable. The Lady Lions roared to 38 wins and an 18-9 conference mark, a finish that signaled Southeastern would no longer be content to merely exist in the Southland shuffle. The momentum stalled through a couple of middling seasons and the COVID shortened year, but Fremin’s patience and process were never in doubt. He was building a stable, not chasing quick fixes.