The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball
- Title:
- Volunteer Assistant Coach
Texas head softball coach Mike White announced on July 19, 2018, that former Oregon player and staff member Kailee Cuico would be joining the Longhorns program as a volunteer assistant coach.
In her first season as part of the staff on the Forty Acres, Cuico helped the Longhorns to a 46-17 overall record as well as to the program's first NCAA Regional title and NCAA Super Regional berth since 2013. Along the way, the Burnt Orange & White showed strong offensive improvement from their previous campaign, rising .034 in batting average to hit .302 as a team during 2019, managing 38 more extra-base hits (including a school single-season record 91 doubles), 96 more RBIs, a .076 improvement in slugging percentage (.452) and a .035 rise in on-base percentage (.377). In addition, three players earned All-American honors (Miranda Elish, Janae Jefferson & Shealyn O'Leary), while five reaped All-Big 12 honors (Elish, Jefferson, O'Leary, Mary Iakopo and Kaitlyn Washington).
A standout on the diamond for the Ducks from 2011-14, Cuico served as part of White’s coaching staff at UO as both a graduate manager (2015) and a volunteer assistant coach (2016-18). During her time as part of the staff, she assisted with both hitting and defense, helping the Ducks post the nation’s top batting average in 2016 (.353) and the second-best fielding percentage in school history (.973 - 2018). Cuico has helped instruct and mentor numerous All-Americans, a pair of Academic All-Americans and a Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete during her time as a volunteer coach.
A two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Pacific Region and three-time All-Pacific 12 Conference Honorable Mention selection, Cuico was the first Oregon player to reach the 40-HR plateau for a career and currently ranks second in the UO record books in both career HR’s (46) and RBIs (180) and third in walks (100). During her time in Eugene, she played in 231 games, helping the Ducks to 193 wins, two Women’s College World Series berths (2012, 2014) and two Pac-12 Conference regular season crowns (2013-14).
Following her collegiate career, Cuico played two seasons with National Pro Fastpitch. She was a part of the Akron Racers roster in 2014 before moving on to help the Chicago Bandits win the 2015 Cowles Cup title.
Internationally, Cuico has been a member of the Philippines National Team. During 2017, she helped guide her squad to a second-place finish at the Asian Women’s Championship (highest finish in Philippines softball history), earning the Philippines berths in the 2018 Women’s Softball World Championship and the 2018 Asian Games.
Cuico graduated from Oregon in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences with a focus in crime law and societies.
