Texas Softball Loses Second Piece of National Championship Winning Coaching Staff

The Texas Longhorns have once again reached the top of college softball after taking down the Texas Tech Red Raiders for the second consecutive season to capture another national championship.

And with success comes changes, especially in the coaching staff, and the Longhorns are no strangers to that. On Monday, the Longhorns saw the first coaching change happen as associate head coach Kristen Zaleski opted not to return to the program in 2027.

Now, in just a matter of two days, the Longhorns and head coach Mike White will have two openings on the coaching staff as Texas loses another piece of its national championship-winning staff.

Texas Loses Important Piece of Coaching Staff to SEC Foe

Texas Longhorns head coach Mike White waits on the outcome of a review in the fifth inning against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

On Tuesday afternoon, D1 Softball's Justin McLeod reported on X that Longhorns associate head coach Ehren Earleywine will not be back in the Texas dugout in 2027 after overseeing the offense in 2026. Earleywine's next destination is taking the job as the next associate head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Filed to @D1Softball: Ehren Earleywine is the new assistant coach at Tennessee. He spent the 2026 season on staff at Texas.https://t.co/wlhAfOQJWV
— Justin McLeod (@justfactsmaam) June 9, 2026

Earleywine spent just a single season on the Forty Acres, being hired ahead of the 2026 season back on Aug. 19, 2025, after the Longhorns' first national championship.

In his only season with the Longhorns, Earleywine was a key piece in an explosive record-setting offensive season, hitting a single-season program record 99 home runs. Earleywine also helped guide junior Katie Stewart to a historic season, setting a program record 31 home runs in a season and earning the SEC's Player of the Year.

In a press release after being hired by the Volunteers on Tuesday, Earleywine was reflective of his lone season in Austin and expressed his appreciation for his time with the Longhorns program.

"I'm leaving Texas with nothing but gratitude," Earleywine said. "It's been one of the most rewarding chapters of my life, and I'll always be proud to have been a Longhorn. My sincere thanks to Coach Mike White and the administration for their belief, support, and professionalism from day one. The program is in great hands and will continue to win championships for many years to come."

Earleywine sticking around the SEC is not a new thing, as he spent the 2024 season with the Ole Miss Rebels, helping them reach the Women's College World Series before arriving at Texas. And from 2007 to 2018, he spent 11 seasons as the head coach of the Missouri Tigers.

Now, as White and the Longhorns look to build the roster ahead of the 2027 season, chasing a historic three-peat, the coaching staff will also take a new look. Texas finds itself with two spots to fill on its coaching staff in order to chase that goal.

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