Texas A&M has parted ways with Hall of Fame softball coach Jo Evans.
The school announced Monday -- a day after being bounced out of the first round of the NCAA tournament by No. 1 overall seed Oklahoma -- that it would not renew Evans' contract following her 26th season in College Station.
During that time, Evans led the program to a 987-503-2 record, including 22 postseason appearances and three trips to the Women's College World Series, the last coming in 2017.
Athletic director Ross Bjork called Evans a "tremendous ambassador" and said he was "deeply appreciative of her efforts."
But, in a statement, he alluded to why he felt a change had to be made.
"The expectation for our softball program is competing for championships every year in Oklahoma City while hosting Regionals and Super Regionals in the best softball stadium in the country at Davis Diamond," Bjork said. "I have no doubt we will be able to move forward and bring in a championship-level head coach."
The last time Texas A&M advanced beyond the first round of the tournament was in 2018. The team ended the 2022 season with a record of 31-28.
Evans, who won Big 12 Coach of the Year three times before the school moved into the SEC following the 2012 season, said in the statement that leading Texas A&M was "the greatest honor of my professional life."
The statement came less than 48 hours after she notched her 1,300th career win. Evans, who also coached at Colorado State and Utah, is just the ninth coach in Division I softball history to reach that mark. She was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015.
"I have put my heart into this team and in return, I leave with amazing relationships, memories, and experiences that have shaped me for most of my life," she said. "I am deeply grateful for my time here at Texas A&M and for the people I have had the privilege to work with and coach. I wish this program all the best as it transitions into the next chapter."