University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Softball
Michael Lotief
- Title:
- Head Coach
In 15 seasons as either head coach or co-head coach of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball program, and 17 seasons overall associated with the program, Michael Lotief has advanced to the NCAA tournament in every single one.
Originally a volunteer coach from 2001-02, then a co-head coach with his wife Stefni from 2003-12, he took over the reigns as the sole head coach prior to the 2013 season. Louisiana has accrued a 731-176-1 record under his watch.
He is a 2016 ASA/USA Louisiana Softball Hall of Fame inductee and was chosen by his peers in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) to receive the 2016 Donna Newberry “Perseverance” Award. The Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year four seasons running (2014-17), he is the NCAA’s active winningest coach with a career .806 winning percentage.
In 2014, Lotief guided the Ragin’ Cajuns to their sixth Women’s College World Series defeating national powers Texas and Arizona to reach Oklahoma City. That marked the first of three straight seasons in which he steered the program to a national seed in the NCAA Tournament and regional host site at Lamson Park.
The Ragin’ Cajuns have re-emerged as a key player on the national stage in recent years when from 2012-16 the program advanced to five straight NCAA Super Regionals and finished Top 15 in the national polls. The stretch of five straight seasons finishing in the Top 15 is the second-longest period in program history trailing only eight straight seasons from 1990-97.
Lotief’s 2017 squad established a Sun Belt Conference record for victories (23-1 record) and had the program competing for an NCAA Regional championship for the 10th consecutive year.
Lotief has led his teams to over 40 wins in every season, eight seasons with 50-or-more victories, and a school-record 60 wins in 2004.
His offensive philosophy has crafted one of the best lineups in the country on a yearly basis – the 2017 unit was the nation’s leader in scoring and ranked Top 10 in home runs, slugging percentage, on base percentage and batting average.
Under his guidance as head coach, the Ragin’ Cajuns have advanced to three Women’s College World Series (2003, 2008 & 2014), seven NCAA Super Regionals and 15 NCAA regionals. Louisiana has captured the Sun Belt Conference regular season championship 13 times in his 15-year tenure.
From 2002-2006, Lotief’s hitting system produced at least 70 home runs. In 2006, his hitting system wielded the first 100-home run season in school history (102). Three of his hitters – Danyele Gomez, Ashley Evans and Lacey Bertucci – ranked in the Top 10 of all NCAA Division I hitters.
The 2015 squad raised the bar offensively, setting school records with 116 home runs and a .652 slugging percentage. The Ragin’ Cajuns generated 108 home runs during the 2016 season, reaching the century mark in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.
Lexie Elkins led all levels of collegiate softball with a school-record 32 home runs in 2015. In Lotief’s system, Elkins hit 75 home runs in three seasons (2014-16) after none as a freshman at Texas Tech in 2013. She was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick by the Pennsylvania Rebellion in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Senior Draft.
Through his 15 seasons as head coach, the Ragin’ Cajuns have hit 1,127 home runs, and drove in 4,915 runs with a .307 batting average.
Prior to coaching at the Division I level, he coached the Louisiana Reflections, a summer program he was instrumental in developing. The Reflections won five consecutive state championships and made five national tournament appearances, winning the AFA 18-U National Championship in 2000. Over 20 high school players that he coached received Division I scholarships.
A 1981 graduate of Teurlings Catholic High School in Lafayette, Lotief received his bachelor’s degree from Louisiana in 1985 and went on to earn his juris doctorate from LSU in 1988. He began his own law practice in 1992 and started coaching softball in 1994.
He is married to former Ragin’ Cajuns co-head coach and All-American Stefni (Whitton) Lotief. The couple has two children, Chelsea and Andrew. Chelsea is currently in her sophomore season as a member of the Ragin’ Cajuns roster.
Originally a volunteer coach from 2001-02, then a co-head coach with his wife Stefni from 2003-12, he took over the reigns as the sole head coach prior to the 2013 season. Louisiana has accrued a 731-176-1 record under his watch.
He is a 2016 ASA/USA Louisiana Softball Hall of Fame inductee and was chosen by his peers in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) to receive the 2016 Donna Newberry “Perseverance” Award. The Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year four seasons running (2014-17), he is the NCAA’s active winningest coach with a career .806 winning percentage.
In 2014, Lotief guided the Ragin’ Cajuns to their sixth Women’s College World Series defeating national powers Texas and Arizona to reach Oklahoma City. That marked the first of three straight seasons in which he steered the program to a national seed in the NCAA Tournament and regional host site at Lamson Park.
The Ragin’ Cajuns have re-emerged as a key player on the national stage in recent years when from 2012-16 the program advanced to five straight NCAA Super Regionals and finished Top 15 in the national polls. The stretch of five straight seasons finishing in the Top 15 is the second-longest period in program history trailing only eight straight seasons from 1990-97.
Lotief’s 2017 squad established a Sun Belt Conference record for victories (23-1 record) and had the program competing for an NCAA Regional championship for the 10th consecutive year.
Lotief has led his teams to over 40 wins in every season, eight seasons with 50-or-more victories, and a school-record 60 wins in 2004.
His offensive philosophy has crafted one of the best lineups in the country on a yearly basis – the 2017 unit was the nation’s leader in scoring and ranked Top 10 in home runs, slugging percentage, on base percentage and batting average.
Under his guidance as head coach, the Ragin’ Cajuns have advanced to three Women’s College World Series (2003, 2008 & 2014), seven NCAA Super Regionals and 15 NCAA regionals. Louisiana has captured the Sun Belt Conference regular season championship 13 times in his 15-year tenure.
From 2002-2006, Lotief’s hitting system produced at least 70 home runs. In 2006, his hitting system wielded the first 100-home run season in school history (102). Three of his hitters – Danyele Gomez, Ashley Evans and Lacey Bertucci – ranked in the Top 10 of all NCAA Division I hitters.
The 2015 squad raised the bar offensively, setting school records with 116 home runs and a .652 slugging percentage. The Ragin’ Cajuns generated 108 home runs during the 2016 season, reaching the century mark in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.
Lexie Elkins led all levels of collegiate softball with a school-record 32 home runs in 2015. In Lotief’s system, Elkins hit 75 home runs in three seasons (2014-16) after none as a freshman at Texas Tech in 2013. She was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick by the Pennsylvania Rebellion in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Senior Draft.
Through his 15 seasons as head coach, the Ragin’ Cajuns have hit 1,127 home runs, and drove in 4,915 runs with a .307 batting average.
Prior to coaching at the Division I level, he coached the Louisiana Reflections, a summer program he was instrumental in developing. The Reflections won five consecutive state championships and made five national tournament appearances, winning the AFA 18-U National Championship in 2000. Over 20 high school players that he coached received Division I scholarships.
A 1981 graduate of Teurlings Catholic High School in Lafayette, Lotief received his bachelor’s degree from Louisiana in 1985 and went on to earn his juris doctorate from LSU in 1988. He began his own law practice in 1992 and started coaching softball in 1994.
He is married to former Ragin’ Cajuns co-head coach and All-American Stefni (Whitton) Lotief. The couple has two children, Chelsea and Andrew. Chelsea is currently in her sophomore season as a member of the Ragin’ Cajuns roster.
Alyson Habetz Media Availability (Nov 24, 2025)
Monday, November 24
Alyson Habetz Media Availability (May 4, 2025)
Monday, May 05
Alyson Habetz, Mia Norwood, and Dayzja Williams Media Availability (April 28, 2025)
Monday, April 28
Alyson Habetz Media Availability (April 21, 2025)
Monday, April 21
