MIAMI -- FIU executive director of sports and entertainment Pete Garcia announced Friday the hiring of Gator Rebhan as the fourth head coach in the school's softball history. Rebhan, who served as an assistant coach for the program during the 2014 season, will take over a squad that boasted the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and All-South selection Stephanie Texeira, along with All-Freshman Team member Gabby Spallone.
“Coach Rebhan is a proven winner,” Garcia said. “Given the success he has had on the state and national levels, along with the early success he had last year as an assistant coach, it made the decision clear to us that he is the right person for the job.”
"I’ve been a local coach in the area for over 20 years and am excited to be given the chance to lead this program," Rebhan said. "We have a great group of players and a lot of talent on this team. I think being a local coach will bring a lot of excitement to this program. Having been an assistant coach for the team last year, I have a great rapport with the athletes already and am extremely excited to begin.”
Rebhan came to FIU after spearheading the Miami Stingrays Softball Organization for more than a decade. Since 1998, he has won titles at the state and national levels and has developed athletes who have gone on to play NCAA Division I softball across the country, including at Harvard, Syracuse, Florida and Auburn.
He guided the Stingrays to a top-20 national ranking following the 2013 travel season, and boasted 12 first-team All-Dade selections during the same year. In addition, Rebhan coached Texeira on her way to earning the 2013 Softball Player of the Year award.
A native of Miami, Rebhan was the head coach at Miami Palmetto Senior High School from 1999-2003. A two-time state champion, he oversaw a squad that won the state title in 2000 and '02.
Prior to coaching, Rebhan played baseball at Miami-Dade College for two seasons (1987-88), before transferring to New Orleans in 1989. His achievements while at Miami-Dade earned him a spot in in the Miami-Dade College Hall of Fame.
A graduate of Regents College of Liberal Arts, Rebhan earned his bachelor's in sociology in 2001.
