New Mexico State University Athletics

Benet Higgs officially had the interim tag removed from her title on May 11, 2026, following a successful campaign in which she was one of just four first-year coaches nationwide to lead their squad to a winning regular-season record. 

As the interim in 2026, she guided the Aggies to a 27-27 record, including a 16-11 mark in Conference USA play and a No. 5 seed in the 2026 CUSA Softball Championship. With 27 wins, Higgs became just the third coach in program history to post 25 or more victories in her first season, joining Joann Ferrieri (32 wins) and Lee Ann Jarvis (27 wins). During the year, the Aggies recorded five series wins, a run-rule victory over rival New Mexico and a marquee win over No. 21 Arizona State.

Higgs joined the program during the summer of 2023 and is entering her third season in Las Cruces. The former Stony Brook assistant spent 2024-25 primarily focused on the Aggies' defense, also serving as a recruiting coordinator for more than a decade across various stops. Since Higgs' arrival, the Aggies have earned 57 wins and eight all-CUSA awards across two seasons.

Higgs' teams have made 10 top-three finishes in their conference regular season and tournament, earning three trips to NCAA Regionals. Fourteen student-athletes have been named to NFCA All-Region, with 45 all-conference players and two league players of the year competing under her guidance. Higgs has overseen 34 conference weekly awards, nine team records, 10 career records and 10 season records in her 16 years of coaching. In 11 campaigns as a hitting coach, Higgs' teams have produced a top-three offense in the conference each time. 
 
Prior to her time in Las Cruces, Higgs spent 12 years as an assistant coach, including seven seasons at Stony Brook. There, she helped the Seawolves amass 60 wins over her final two seasons, marking the most by any team in the Coastal Athletic Association during that stretch.
 
She has also previously spent time on staff at Bradley (2014-17), Army (2012-13) and South Dakota State (2011). As a player, Higgs competed at Stephen F. Austin, where she played centerfield and shortstop, while switch-hitting at the plate.