Bio

Rhein Carmichael joined McLennan Softball as an assistant coach in 2022 but is a familiar face to the McLennan family. The daughter of Athletic Director Shawn Trochim, Carmichael has grown up on the McLennan campus, spending countless hours at the ball fields and in the gym.

In her first season on the coaching staff, the McLennan squad finished in second place in the NTJCAC conference race with a 27-5 record and ended the season as the Region V Runner-Up with an overall record of 44-13, narrowly missing a return trip the national tournament. Nine players received NTJCAC All-Conference honors, including Erin Plunkett the Defensive Player of the Year, four received NFCA All-Region honors and two were named 2023 NJCAA Division I Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners. The squad also excelled in the classroom, ranking sixth with a 3.712 GPA among the 61 junior colleges recognized by the NFCA and also being named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year Honorable Mention. Six players were named Academic All-Conference, 12 earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honors and 16 earned NFCA Academic Awards, and Plunkett was named to the 2023 CSC Academic All-America^® Women's At-Large Team in the College Division.

Carmichael is beginning her coaching career after a successful career as a player at both the University of Illinois and Baylor University. She was a four-year member of the Fighting Illini softball team, playing in 122 games with 51 starts. While at Illinois, she served on the Softball Leadership Council and as a team representative for the college’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), she worked with the group’s Community Engagement subcommittee to organize events that focused on giving back to the campus and community. Additionally, she spent time volunteering with the Girl Power Program, Special Spectator Tailgate, Reading Illini, Ronald McDonald House, Head Start, and local animal shelters and assisted living facilities.

After graduating from Illinois, Carmichael played one year at Baylor while completing her master’s degree and was named an Academic Champion. She made 34 appearances for the Bears with 21 starts. Carmichael also spent time volunteering while at Baylor, participating in Trunk or Treat and Christmas projects for local children and the homeless community.

Carmichael also has years of experience working as a camp counselor for softball camps at Midway High School, McLennan, Baylor, and Illinois.

Carmichael received a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois in 2021 and a master's degree in sport pedagogy from Baylor University in 2022. She and her husband PJ, an assistant coach for McLennan Baseball, were married in 2022.

Coaching experience
2022-present: Assistant coach, McLennan Community College

Playing experience
2021-22: Baylor University
2017-21: University of Illinois

Education
2022: Master’s in sport pedagogy, Baylor University
2021: Bachelor’s in kinesiology, University of Illinois