MIAMI (July 16, 2021) – Mike Larabee has been named the head coach of the FIU softball program, FIU Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia announced on Friday.

"We are thrilled to announce the hiring of Mike Larabee as head coach of our FIU softball program," Garcia said. "Mike is a proven winner who brings a wealth of knowledge and proven success to FIU. We feel he will be able to take our softball program to championship levels."

Larabee joins FIU after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Maryland softball program, where he helped guide the Terrapins to their best record in the Big Ten since joining the conference in 2015. He joined the Terrapins after four seasons as head softball coach at Central Washington. Under Larabee's leadership, the Wildcats set a new Great Northwest Athletic Conference record for most consecutive regular-season titles with four. He was named the GNAC Head Coach of the Year in three of his four years at the helm. 

"I would like to thank Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia, Senior Associate AD/SWA Julie Berg, and the entire athletic department for this great opportunity to lead the Panther softball program," Larabee said. "It was very evident from my interview and conversations that there is great support and commitment from the entire athletic department. The softball facilities and campus are top notch, and the state of Florida is rich with talent, all ingredients necessary to build a nationally competitive softball program."

Prior to his stop at CWU, Larabee spent six seasons at Arkansas as the head coach. In the first four years of his career at Arkansas, Larabee saw the Razorbacks earn nine All-SEC honors, including Freshman of the Year accolades for Devon Wallace in 2012 and Scholar-Athlete of the Year accolades for Jessica Bachkora in 2010. 

Larabee guided the 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. Wallace, the first SEC Freshman of the Year in program history, was also named to the All-SEC First Team and All-Freshman Team in 2012.

"We will win at FIU!" Larabee added. "My staff and I will put an exciting team on the field that will generate offense in a variety of ways, we will play a high level of catch defensively, and our pitchers will attack the strike zone, get ahead in the count, disrupt rhythm and timing and will change planes with their pitches. It will be an exciting brand of softball for our fans to watch."

Before Arkansas, Larabee was the head coach at Wright State from 2004-09, where his teams ranked among the nation's top-15 in batting average in 2007 and 2008. Larabee led Wright State to 34 wins in 2009, second-most in school history, while the 16-8 conference record also gave the Raiders the most league victories in the history of the program. The 33-26 record in 2008 was the first winning record for WSU since 2001, and the NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008 were just the second and third ever for Wright State.

Larabee spent six years as an assistant coach for the USA Women's National Team, helping guide the United States to gold medal finishes in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, and the 2006 World University Games in Taiwan.

"We as a coaching staff will work every day to transform the lives of our student athletes," Larabee said. "We want our athletes to work hard and earn a degree that they are proud of, be a great teammate, have a teachable spirit, develop lifelong relationships and play in a nationally competitive softball program. This can and will be done at FIU!"

Larabee played baseball at MiraCosta and Green River community colleges, as well as at Washington State, earning his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1986. While earning his master's degree in exercise science from WSU in 1988, he was also an assistant baseball coach, under the guidance of 2007 National College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee Chuck "Bobo" Brayton. 

A member of the U.S. National Men's Fastpitch Team, Larabee represented the United States at the ISF World Championships in 1996 and 2000.

Larabee and his wife Dawn have a daughter, Michaela, and a son, John.