Softball On SI

Gerry Glasco’s Coaching Path Took a Turn Thanks to the DEA and Mexican Drug Cartels

Katie Burkhart-Gooch|
Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco yells at the officials in the second inning during a softball game between Texas Tech and UCLA at the Women’s College World Series at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco yells at the officials in the second inning during a softball game between Texas Tech and UCLA at the Women’s College World Series at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

You think your coaching journey was unconventional? Try going from dodging cartel violence to calling pitches at the Women’s College World Series.

In an incredible piece by ESPN’s Dave Wilson, Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco opened up about his very non-traditional path to the softball diamond. Let me tell you—it’s unlike anything you’ve heard in a postgame presser.

Before he was leading the Red Raiders to their first-ever WCWS appearance, Glasco was leading something else entirely: guided hunting tours in northern Mexico. Yeah. That was his life. Duck blinds, firearms, and cartel checkpoints.

Gerry Glasco showing off his duck hunting skills in front of his Crazy Feather Outfitters sign and his black lab.
Gerry Glasco showing off his duck hunting skills in front of his Crazy Feather Outfitters sign and his black lab. | Crazy Feather Outfitters

According to the ESPN interview, Glasco ran a successful outfitting business called Crazy Feather Outfitters. He took hunters across the U.S. and into Mexico—until things started getting a little too real. Think military stops, guns drawn, and having to unload your entire truck in the middle of nowhere while trying not to get yourself shot. One encounter ended with Glasco getting hit by a soldier. That was the breaking point.

“I just knew I couldn’t do it anymore,” he told ESPN.

So, what does a man with deep roots in the outdoors and zero formal coaching background do? He pivots. He leans into his daughters’ sport. He starts showing up. And then? He starts winning.

Fast forward to now: Texas Tech is in the WCWS for the first time ever, with Glasco at the helm. You can see the grit in the way his team plays—disciplined, tough, and quietly fearless. It’s the same grit it takes to change your entire life when the one you built is no longer safe.

Glasco’s story isn’t just a cool headline—it’s a masterclass in resilience and reinvention. He didn’t take the easy road to OKC. He took the one with cartel convoys, broken bones, and wild pivots. And now, he’s proving that sometimes the most unlikely paths lead to the biggest moments.

So shoutout to ESPN for bringing this story to light—and shoutout to Gerry Glasco for reminding us that it’s never too late to go all-in on a new dream.

MORE NEWS: Texas Tech Softball Head Coach Gerry Glasco’s Championship Pursuit in WCWS Driven by Love, Loss, and Legacy

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Katie Burkhart-Gooch
KATIE BURKHART-GOOCH

Katie Burkhart is a former professional softball pitcher and Arizona State University alumna, where she was a three-time All-American and led the Sun Devils to a national championship. She played professionally in the U.S., Japan, and Italy, and has coached at the Division I level. She now provides private pitching instruction and mindset training for athletes of all levels. Katie is also the author of Mental Muscle and Beyond the Game, books focused on athletic performance and life after sports.

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