Texas Tech Softball Not Bringing Back Assistant Coaches Ahead of 2027 Season

After losing to the Texas Longhorns in consecutive Women's College World Series finals, head coach Gerry Glasco has decided to make some changes to the Texas Tech coaching staff.

The Red Raiders have opted not to renew assistant coach Hunter Veach, sources told Softball on SI. Additionally, Kayla Kowalik will not return as the Red Raiders' assistant coach.

Sources tell me Texas Tech is making a couple of personnel changes to its coaching staff and is not renewing assistant coach Hunter Veach.

Assistant coach Kayla Kowalik will not be returning either.
— Maren Angus-Coombs (@Maren_Angus) June 29, 2026

Veach began his tenure at Texas Tech in 2025, helping his team earn an 115-24 record across two seasons.

The former assistant spent his time in Lubbock, Texas, focusing on the Red Raiders' defense while also appearing as a first-base coach during games.

In the second game of the 2026 WCWS, a throwing error by Texas Tech's shortstop in the fifth inning blew the game open, putting the Longhorns up 2-1 after the Raiders led the whole game 1-0. Texas Tech would go on to lose the game 4-1, missing out on another national championship after the error shifted the momentum of the game in Texas' favor

Even though the Red Raiders left Devon Park empty-handed, Veach still ushered his team to a .975 fielding percentage in 2026 and a .973 percentage in 2025.

Before joining Glasco in Lubbock, Veach was at Louisiana with him as the primary defensive coach. He also spent time at Texas A&M as director of player development and two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He got his start as a student assistant at Auburn.

His future plans are not known at this time.

Fans will also not see other assistant coach, Kayla Kowalik, in the dugout for the 2027 season.

Hired in 2024, Kowalik had a hand in Texas Tech's exponential growth. The Red Raiders did not receive a spot in the postseason bracket after losing to Texas in the second round of the Big 12 Conference Championship bracket.

As her team grew into one of the most talked-about teams in collegiate softball, Kowalik was also furthering her career as a player in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

On January 29, 2025, Kowalik was selected 28th in the inaugural AUSL draft, going in the seventh round to the Carolina Blaze.

Kowalik currently sits on the injured reserve list, but is on the roster alongside powerhouses like catcher Reese Atwood and pitcher Karlyn Pickens.

masterclass in staying on top of the ball presented by Kayla Kowalik

blaze up by FIVEEEEEEEE

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/f3VTPGRbeH
— carolina blaze | ausl (@AUSL_Blaze) June 20, 2026

In 2026, she has started eight games, batting .400 with two runs and 10 hits in 25 at-bats. During her first season with the Blaze, she appeared in 24 games, nursing a .266 batting average, picking up one home run, 13 runs and 17 hits.

It's unknown if Kowalik is pursuing other coaching jobs or if she is focusing her craft at the professional softball level.

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