The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball announces Pattie Ruth Taylor as new assistant coach
08.14.2023 | Softball
Taylor spent the last two seasons serving as an assistant coach at Lehigh
AUSTIN, TX – The University of Texas softball head coach Mike White announced on Monday morning the addition of Pattie Ruth Taylor to the Longhorn coaching staff as the program's third assistant coach.
"I am excited to announce the addition of Coach Taylor to our staff," White said. "Coach Taylor brings experience as both a pitcher and coach to our program. Her personality and competitive drive blends well with our staff and team."
"I would like to thank Coach White for giving me this incredible opportunity to join the Longhorn family," Taylor said. "I am beyond excited to learn and work with him, Coach (Steve) Singleton and Coach (Kristen) Zaleski. The championship culture is evident through this program, and I am eager to bring my experience and values to work with these amazing student-athletes."
Following a two-season stint as the volunteer assistant coach at UConn (2020-21), Taylor spent two seasons (2022-23) as an assistant coach that oversaw the pitching staff of the Lehigh University softball program.
In her first season at Lehigh, Taylor guided a pitching staff that helped Lehigh win its 15th Patriot League tournament championship and first since 2017. Gabriella Nori, who was named the tournament's most valuable player, allowed just one run over her last 20 innings pitched heading into the NCAA Seattle Regional. In 2023, the Lehigh pitching staff posted a 2.73 earned run average (ERA) as the program won 40 games, including a 7-4 win over then-No. 7/9 Alabama as well as winning 16 of 18 Patriot League contests.
During her time with the UConn student-athletes, Taylor coached an AAC Player, two BIG EAST Pitcher and one BIG EAST Freshman of the Week selections. The pitching staff posted a 2.01 ERA, .208 opponent batting average, six shutouts, a no-hitter and a combined no-hitter during the 2020 campaign. The following year, the Huskies struck out 247 batters while posting a 3.24 ERA and a .241 opponent batting average.
A native of Russellville, Tenn., Taylor was a four-year letterwinner (2015-18) at Middle Tennessee State, where she was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Scholar Athlete, two-time C-USA Honor Roll honoree and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She earned a bachelors degree in marketing and a masters in leisure and sport management from MTSU.
Texas, which finished with a 45-15-1 record last season, is coming off a NCAA Super Regional appearance after the Longhorns knocked off Seton Hall and Texas A&M to win the NCAA Austin Regional. The program also played for a conference championship after appearing in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship game.
FOLLOW US
For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasSoftball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.