Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long has been in a hiring mood today.

The university has also announced that a new softball coach, Mike Larabee, has been hired today. Larabee comes to Arkansas after spending the past five seasons at Wright State. He is the third coach in the program’s history. Arkansas started softball in 1997.

Below is part of Arkansas’ lengthy release on Larabee. If you want the whole thing, click this link.

FAYETTEVILLE –- After building Wright State into an NCAA Tournament qualifier and establishing himself as one of the nation’s top coaches at the collegiate, national and international levels, Mike Larabee has been named head coach of the University of Arkansas softball program, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long announced on Thursday.

“We are pleased to announce that Mike Larabee has been selected to lead the Razorback softball program,” Long said. “His diversified experience of competing in men’s fastpitch softball at the highest level, and coaching college baseball and women’s college softball made him uniquely qualified. He has built a program with limited resources into one that has qualified for the NCAA Tournament. His energy, enthusiasm and confidence in his ability to lead our program to competitive success set him apart from our other candidates. Coach Larabee has demonstrated his ability to teach and motivate his players on the softball field and support them in their academic pursuits as well.

“We have made a tremendous commitment to our softball program, including the completion of Bogle Park. I believe Coach Larabee’s ability to coach, instruct and recruit will allow us to continue toward our goal to compete at the top of the SEC and at the national level.”

Larabee, a two-time United States National Softball Team pool coach and a two-time all-world selection as an athlete, becomes the third head softball coach in University of Arkansas history. The Razorback softball program was launched in 1997.

“I am appreciative of the opportunity Jeff Long and the University of Arkansas has given me to lead the Razorback softball program,” Larabee said. “The University of Arkansas is a place where our coaching staff will work hard teaching and coaching the game while recruiting quality student-athletes. I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity than to coach in the Southeastern Conference at an outstanding institution known for its academic and athletic excellence.”