In 2024, Alabama softball will play a season without Alyson Habetz for the first time in a quarter century.

The associate head coach joined Patrick Murphy in his first year leading the program in 1998. Fast forward 25 years, and Habetz announced she's retiring to help care for her mother.

“Twenty-five years ago, Patrick Murphy asked me to help him start a softball program in Tuscaloosa," Habetz said in a statement. "Accepting his invitation led me to discover a career that has truly filled my life beyond measure."

Habetz took part in six SEC regular-season titles, five SEC Tournament championships and 14 Women's College World Series appearances, including a national championship in 2012. Her duties included primarily coaching the outfielders, which meant she played a role in the careers of Haylie McCleney, Kelly Kretschman, Brittany Rogers and more.

“I can’t thank Aly enough for her loyalty and servant heart for the past 25 years,” coach Patrick Murphy said in a statement. “It is almost unheard of these days for a coach to stay at one school for so many years. Her legacy at Alabama will be passed down through our current and former players onto the next generation. Anyone who watched us saw her passion and fire on the field and it was always represented in the way we played.”

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Habetz has a storied career in sports started long before she worked at UA. She was the first girl to play high school baseball in Louisiana, having to fight state courts to do so. She played basketball and softball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she was an All-American in the sport she would one day coach.

As a result, Habetz earned a spot in the Ragin' Cajuns' hall of fame and the Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She added a third hall of fame to her list, joining the West Alabama Softball Hall of Fame.

"I have developed lifelong friendships and learned from so many successful coaches," Habetz said. "It has been a great privilege to experience the entirety of my coaching career with the Crimson Tide.”

In the release, Habetz also thanked Alabama softball fans, the coaches and support staff, President Stuart Bell, athletics director Greg Byrne as well as all those "who have worn and who currently wear the Bama softball jersey."

“Coaching softball at The University of Alabama has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Habetz said. “Each person I have encountered on this journey has left an indelible mark on my heart that I will cherish for a lifetime. Thank You from the bottom of my heart! God Bless & Roll Tide Forever!”

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why Alabama softball assistant coach Alyson Habetz is retiring