Softball Australia is excited to announce that Laing Harrow has re-committed to Softball Australia for another year in his role as High-Performance Pathways and Aussie Spirit Head Coach. 

"We are absolutely delighted to have Laing extend his commitment to leading the Aussie Spirit program and providing critical coaching leadership across the pathway programs," said Sarah Loh, CEO of Softball Australia. "The Aussie Spirit players and staff have demonstrated their strong capabilities with their hard-earned qualification for next year's WBSC Women's World Cup finals. Under Laing's leadership, the program and players continue to show strong progress." 

Unfortunately, the 2024 WBSC calendar has imposed the splitting of Head Coach roles for the Aussie Spirit and Steelers programs due to potential scheduling conflicts between the men's and women's World Cup events. Consequently, Harrow will be stepping down as Steelers Head Coach and passing the reins of the world champion program to a new leader. 

Taking up the mantle of Head Coach in 2015, Laing Harrow followed in the footsteps of his late father, Bob Harrow, carrying forward the family legacy with the Australian Men's team. Laing’s tenure was marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation within the program. Under Harrow's leadership, the team celebrated remarkable achievements, including a Silver medal at the 2017 WBSC World Cup. However, the pinnacle of his Steelers coaching career was undoubtedly in 2022, when he guided the team to a historic victory at the WBSC World Cup, securing Australia's second World Championship in the Open Men's division. 

“Over many years, Laing has been the cornerstone of our team's success, not only for his high-performance contributions on the field but also for his meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of our game and preparations as Aussie Steelers. He has cultivated a true culture of excellence across our entire program and encapsulates exactly what it means to be an Aussie Steeler,” said World Cup-winning team captain, James Todhunter.  “On behalf of the current Steelers playing group and wider Steelers fan base, ex-players, fans etc., we wish him all the best in his next venture. Also, we’d like to thank him for the positive impact he has had on our Men’s program." 

Harrow will remain involved in the Aussie Steelers program through his ongoing employment with Softball Australia. Under a new organisational structure, the next Aussie Steelers Head Coach will report to both Harrow and the National Pathways Manager, Clare Humberstone. Harrow's role will be to offer guidance and mentorship to the incoming Aussie Steelers Head Coach, ensuring a strong connection and continuity between the Aussie Spirit and Aussie Steelers programs. 

Softball Australia will soon initiate the recruitment process for a replacement in the position of Steelers Head Coach. Harrow's tenure as Steelers Head Coach will extend until the end of November, concluding with his final tournament in charge of the team during the Oceania Qualifier for the WBSC World Cup group stage, taking place from November 9 to November 11 in Pago Pago, American Samoa.