Global Symposium on Racing Speaker: Mike Candrea
Mike Candrea began his tenure as Arizona’s interim athletic director on February 2, 2024 after being appointed to the position by Arizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins. Candrea spent four decades at the helm of the Arizona Softball program, and his iconic career included eight national championships, 23 appearances at the Women’s College World Series as well as retiring in 2021 as the all-time winningest coach in college softball history.
Candrea was also an international fixture in the game of softball as he coached in the Olympics and guided Team USA to the gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece. He was also a pioneer in the game as the University of Arizona became the first school to build an on-campus facility dedicated to softball with the construction of the original Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium in 1993. The facility was renovated in 2018 as one of the top softball facilities in the country. After Candrea’s retirement in 2021, the venue officially became Mike Candrea Field at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.