The current employment contract of UVA Softball coach Joanna Hardin expires on June 14, so we should be watching for news on her status going forward, because there should be some news forthcoming, and soon.
I’m paying closer attention to Hardin’s status because of an anonymous letter on Hardin and the UVA Softball program that I received last week, which included a copy of a lengthy letter about Hardin and her program that was sent to UVA President Scott Beardsley in April.
What was related in those letters: I’m not going to say.
How’s that for vagueposting?
It’s probably nothing, and probably also just pure coincidence that we don’t have any word on an extension for Hardin, who has now taken three straight UVA teams to the NCAA Tournament.
ICYMI
Just saying here, the timing of the letters coming my way, and the odd spring that we’ve seen over on Grounds – with the dismissals of Amaka Agugua-Hamilton in women’s basketball and Lars Tiffany in men’s lacrosse, who both took their teams to NCAA Tournaments – has me doing some CYA work.
To that end, I tracked down, through FOIA, a copy of Hardin’s current contract – and since the FOIA office sent me a copy of the extension she signed in 2023, I can vouch that we’re still waiting for news on a next contract.
The three-year extension signed in 2023 pays Hardin $127,365 in salary and supplemental compensation annually.
Notably, she signed that deal before she had taken the program to any NCAA Tournaments – in her first seven seasons at Virginia, Hardin’s teams were a cumulative 139-197, with only two winning seasons among the seven, in 2022 (28-26) and 2023 (30-22).
Her three teams since have gone 34-20, 37-17 and 40-15, and each made it to the NCAA Regionals.
One would think that she would be in line for another extension and a nice raise.
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Chris Graham
