Texas Tech Softball Hires Oklahoma Legend, Veteran Hitting Coach Ahead of 2027 Season

Since losing to the Texas Longhorns in consecutive Women's College World Series (WCWS) finals, head coach Gerry Glasco has not only revamped the roster with seven transfers but also made significant changes to the coaching staff.

After not renewing assistant coach Hunter Veach’s contract and parting ways with Kayla Kowalik, the program announced the hiring of assistant coaches Jeff Cottrill and Shelby Pendley on Monday.

Some new faces joining our staff!

📰https://t.co/MG4gh7ItIm pic.twitter.com/1fh1G9SFRL
— Texas Tech Softball (@TexasTechSB) July 27, 2026

Cottrill, the experienced hitting and pitching coach, spent the 2026 season at Houston under Chrissy Shoonmaker’s first year at the helm. Prior to that, he served as the hitting coach for Missouri during the 2023-24 seasons, where he helped the Tigers to two NCAA Regional appearances and a Super Regional appearance in 2024.

Additionally, Cottrill spent seven seasons with Oklahoma State, five as an assistant coach, where he saw two trips to the WCWS and led the team to set new single-season records in runs scored, runs per game, home runs, runs batted in, runs batted in per game, total bases, total bases per game and slugging percentage.

Pendley, an Oklahoma legend, will reunite with Glasco, as he was her coach when she played professionally for the USSSA Pride. She comes to Lubbock with coaching experience at New Mexico, Jackson State, and Belhaven.

Pendley finished her career sixth in NCAA history with 84 career home runs, seventh with 269 RBIs, and 11th with a .842 slugging percentage. As a shortstop at Oklahoma, she finished second in program career batting average, home runs, extra-base hits and slugging percentage, third in OBP (.517), fourth in RBI and total bases, fifth in doubles (47), sixth in runs scored, walks (121), and saves (4), and ninth in stolen base percentage (.857)

Pendley was also named an NFCA All-American, a top 10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, earned First Team All-Big 12 honors from 2013-15, and earned First Team All-Pac 12 honors in 2012 during her lone year at Arizona.

After college, Pendley spent time in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league, where she was named Rookie of the Year in 2016, a Home Run Champion in 2017, and the Cowles Cup MVP in 2018. She was also a 2019 Japan Cup Gold Medalist and 2019 International Cup Gold Medalist with USA Softball.

The Red Raiders are hoping these coaching additions will finally land them the program’s first national title.

Texas Tech Softball Transfers

IF Jaysoni Beachum (Florida State)
OF Zoie Bernard (Michigan State)
MI Brady Gallaway (Louisiana Tech)
P Jayden Heavener (LSU)
P Hailey Maestretti (Utah)
OF Kasidi Pickering (Oklahoma)
OF Mariah Polar (Purdue)

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