Iowa softball ‘staying positive’ and ‘having each other’s backs’ after ex-coach disparages program’s culture

IOWA CITY — Karl Gollan noticed an encouraging sign after Iowa’s acting head softball coach decided to pinch-hit Echo Matiello for starting outfielder Tatianna Roman.

“I look over and the first person up at the front of the dugout is Tati cheering for her teammate,” Gollan said after the team’s doubleheader sweep against St. Thomas. “So that’s a pretty good sign that your team’s close and there’s good things going on.”

It is just one example of how the Hawkeyes are “staying positive” and “having each other’s backs,” as Roman described it, after interim head coach Brian Levin’s sudden in-season departure — and his negative public comments about the team he was tasked with leading.

“Despite whatever happened, we’re in really positive and high vibes,” said Roman, a team captain, in the first set of interviews with Iowa players since Levin’s exit.

Levin told the Daily Iowan in an article published on the same day as his departure that “there’s been a cultural problem in the softball program since I arrived.” He added that “some players are comfortable speaking up and some players are silenced for having different views or opinions.”

“I don’t have any comment about the person who made those type of comments, but our culture is great,” shortstop Soo-Jin Berry said after Wednesday’s doubleheader. “We all love each other with our whole hearts, and we love softball.”

Iowa Athletics terminated Levin’s contract with cause, according to the termination notice obtained by The Gazette on Thursday via an open records request. The letter states Levin was placed on “investigatory administrative leave” after Iowa’s tournament on the weekend of Feb. 28-March 2.

“After careful consideration, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the University of Iowa have found your statements during the tournament, as well as during the investigatory interview, demonstrate that you are either unwilling or unable to perform your coaching duties for the Iowa Softball team,” the letter from athletics Beth Goetz said.

Levin had been on Iowa’s staff since July 2022. He was an assistant coach in 2023 and 2024 and then was promoted to interim head coach after Renee Gillispie stepped away for the 2025 season due to a “personal health matter.”

“It is unfortunate we needed to make the change in leadership at this time, but providing an environment for our student-athletes to be their best academically and athletically remains our priority,” Goetz said in the press release announcing Levin’s departure.

The Daily Iowan reported Levin tried creating dialogue in a March 1 meeting about some players’ decisions to kneel during the national anthem and became frustrated when athletes who supposedly expressed concerns individually did not share those concerns with the larger group.

“I do kneel for personal reasons, but my teammates have always stressed that they’re always going to support me, no matter what,” said Berry, one of the four Hawkeyes who knelt ahead of Wednesday’s home opener. “I kneeled last weekend in Alabama, and (Brianna Johnson) literally gave me a hug right after.”

Iowa’s new acting head coach seems to be taking a much different approach to the matter. Asked about having conversations about kneeling, Gollan said “not at all.”

“We have conversations about softball,” Gollan said. “My job and my knowledge base is understanding how to try to help the girls win ball games. We give the freedom for everybody to be themselves in here, and we focus on softball.”

Levin’s departure puts the Hawkeyes in a difficult position logistically. With Gillispie already away from the program, the only remaining staff members who hold softball-specific backgrounds are Gollan and softball operations assistant Sammy Diaz, who was an infielder on last year’s team.

“I trust her; she trusts me,” Gollan said. “We have our own lanes. And the girls, more importantly, trust us and the information we hand out. We each have the areas that we take care of, and it works great.”

Gollan said the team has taken the recent adversity “like champs.”

“Change is inevitable at times, and we haven’t got caught up in the people or the things that aren’t here,” Gollan said. “We’ve got some very, very competitive teams waiting for us ahead, so our focus is looking forward to Indiana and UCLA.”

The Hawkeyes are 16-8 heading into Big Ten play this weekend. They are two games away from matching last year’s win total, and all but one of their losses have been to ranked teams.

“It’s difficult for anybody to face a situation like that, but we’re just trying to stay positive and, like I said, have each other’s backs,” Roman said. “That’s all we can do in this scenario, and move forward. The past is the past.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

Sign up for our curated Iowa Hawkeyes athletics newsletter at thegazette.com/hawks.