The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball’s Taylor named NFCA Assistant Coach of the Year
07.16.2026 | Softball
Taylor coached three Longhorn pitchers to All-SEC honors and helped Teagan Kavan become the only player in NCAA history to earn multiple WCWS Most Outstanding Player honors.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Softball assistant coach Pattie Ruth Taylor was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's (NFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year, the organization announced Thursday afternoon.
Taylor, who oversees the Texas pitching staff, completed her third season on the Forty Acres in 2026. Taylor has played a pivotal role since joining the Longhorns' coaching staff in 2024, overseeing all aspects of the day-to-day responsibilities for the pitching staff, which includes planning and instructing all bullpens, calling pitches and managing the staff on game days. She spearheaded the development of a highly-accomplished Texas pitching staff that includes back-to-back Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player in junior RHP Teagan Kavan, the first player in history to earn consecutive MOPs. At the 2026 WCWS, Kavan went 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA, 30 strikeouts and two saves across 33.1 innings pitched. Kavan's three career saves at the WCWS ties former OU pitcher Paige Lowary for the most-ever by a pitcher in college softball history. Kavan's 10 wins at the WCWS ties for the fourth-most by a pitcher in NCAA history. Senior RHP Citlaly Gutierrez had a WCWS to remember as well with Taylor's guidance. In the WCWS Semifinals against Tennessee, Gutierrez fueled Texas to a 5-2 victory in the first game on June 1, forcing a winner-take-all second game for a trip to the Championship Series. Texas won the second game, 4-0, to advance to its fourth WCWS Championship Series over the last five seasons. Gutierrez had an outstanding outing in game two of the WCWS Championship Series vs. Texas Tech to help secure the Horns' national title.
Taylor coached three Longhorn pitchers to All-SEC honors (Kavan, Citlaly Gutierrez and Hannah Wells) and shepherded a staff that posted the lowest ERA (1.71) at the 2026 WCWS, the only program with a sub-2.00 ERA. Wells aided in the development of freshman pitcher/utility Hannah Wells, who earned Freshman All-America recognition from D1Softball.
Texas' pitching staff recorded the second-lowest ERA by an SEC team this year (2.55). Texas registered the second-most strikeouts with 414. During conference-only play, Texas also had the second-lowest ERA at 4.44.
Taylor has helped Texas (53-12) win back-to-back NCAA WCWS in 2025-26. Texas swept Texas Tech in the Championship Series, 7-3 and 4-1, on June 3-4. Texas posted its program-record, third-straight 50-win season and went 11-2 in the NCAA Tournament. Texas finished the season 6-0 in elimination games. After dropping their WCWS opener to No. 8 Tennessee, 6-3, on May 28, Texas rattled off six-straight wins at Devon Park to repeat as National Champions. Texas became the fifth team in history to lose its WCWS opener and go on to win the title. The Horns have played in the WCWS Championship Series in four of the last five seasons. Taylor was part of the Texas coaching staff that garnered the NFCA's National Coaching Staff of the Year for the second-consecutive season. In addition to the back-to-back national titles, Texas won the program's first SEC Tournament title and fifth overall conference tournament championship.
Taylor is the first Longhorn assistant coach to earn the NFCA's Assistant Coach of the Year award. Taylor will be recognized on Dec. 12 during the NFCA Convention's Awards Brunch in Atlantic City, N.J.
