As great a legacy that Patrick Murphy has as the Alabama softball coach, the 2026 season has done a lot to quiet the doubters who felt he had reached his ceiling. It is no secret that scoring runs and finding consistent bats have hampered the Tide over the last couple of seasons.
If you are an Alabama Softball fan, I am sure you are aware of a growing sentiment that maybe the game had passed him by. But any questions that were out there have been answered this season. He seems to have evolved in recruiting and finding consistent hitters. As great as the pitching duo of Jocelyn Briski and Vic Moten has been all season, they have the hitting support they deserve to have.
Honestly, some of the doubt for Murphy seems to have come after Montana Fouts' career. As great as she was, it seemed the lack of hitting during her time on the mound was why Alabama did not bring a second national championship back to Tuscaloosa. It almost seemed like her career was wasted in a sense, similar to Bryce Young on the football field. He has found the right players who are timely hitters and has put together a team that seems much more similar to what the expectation is of the fans in Tuscaloosa when it comes to softball.
Honestly, Patrick Murphy is a prisoner of his own success, and since 2021, there seems to have been a slight fall-off in the program. Some of it may just be with NIL and the portal, as well as the additions of softball powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma. The joy I saw from him, the players, and the crowd Saturday night at the Brickyard was great to see, and there is a much different feel around this team as they had to the WCWS for the 16th time than there was two years ago when they went on the road and upset Tennessee. This team has all the necessary parts to not only have a long run in Oklahoma City, but bring a second national championship back home, no matter who else joins them next week.
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