Bellarmine head coach Renee Hicks has been placed on administrative leave, sources confirmed to Extra Inning Softball this weekend.
Reached for comment, a Bellarmine University spokesperson issued the following statement to Extra Inning Softball:
“We have made a temporary change in the leadership of our softball team while a Title IX investigation is underway. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination and other conduct in any school or other education program on the basis of a student’s sex. We are ensuring that our student-athletes have all the support they need during this review, and will refrain from further comment.”
Assistant coach Mollie Paulick, who is in her first season with the program, has been named interim head coach. Hicks’ leave could extend through the completion of the 2022 season, sources said.
The 2022 season marked Hicks’ 19th leading the Bellarmine program; she took the reins of the program in 2003. The winningest coach in program history, Hicks boasted 419 career wins entering the year. Under Hicks’ guidance, Bellarmine made a pair of NCAA tournament appearances while in Division II, in 2012 and 2014.
In 2020, the Knights realigned to Division 1 and joined the ASun Conference. The program went 6-31 in their debut season at Division 1 and are 9-23 thus-far in 2022.
A Kentucky native, Hicks previously coached at Allegheny College, Union College, and Lee’s College. A Union College alumnus, she was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2015.
