LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Repeat national champion University of Texas at Austin was voted by its peers as the 2026 ATEC/NFCA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year, the Association announced on Thursday afternoon.
After sweeping through regionals, Texas’ road to the national championship was a little bit tougher, dropping both its Super Regional and Women’s College World Series openers. However, the Longhorns (53-12), under the direction of head coach Mike White, associate head coaches Ehren Earleywine and Kristen Zaleski and assistant coach Pattie Ruth Taylor, persevered. They won games two and three against Arizona State to advance to Oklahoma City.
After a 6-3 defeat to Tennessee, Texas rattled off six straight wins at Devon Park, including two against those same Lady Vols in the semifinals. In their second elimination game, the Longhorns also found themselves trailing 1-0 and being no-hit against Nebraska with one out into the sixth, only to rally for a 3-1 win. Additionally, White secured his 800th career win in their first elimination game against Mississippi State.
Texas, which posted its third straight 50-win season, also fell behind 1-0 in both games of the Championship Series, a rematch versus Texas Tech, only to fight back for 7-3 and 4-1 victories. With the title, the Longhorns, which won their program’s first in 2025, became the fifth team to win it all after losing the opening game of the WCWS. They finished 11-2 during the postseason, including 6-1 at the Women’s College World Series. White’s teams now have 24 victories at the WCWS, good for sixth all time and third amongst active head coaches.
White and his staff will be recognized at the NFCA Awards Brunch on Dec. 12 at the 2026 NFCA Convention in Atlantic City, N.J.
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