Texas Softball Parts Ways With Key Coach After Back-to-Back National Titles

Just days after grabbing a second-straight national championship, Texas softball is parting ways with associate head coach Kristen Zaleski, according to Justin McLeod at D1Softball.

Filed to @D1Softball: Kristen Zaleski is not returning to the Texas coaching staff in 2027.https://t.co/pYSLZ5GcNE
— Justin McLeod (@justfactsmaam) June 8, 2026

It’s unclear whether Zaleski left on her own or was let go from the position, but she did receive the promotion to associate head coach prior to the start of the 2026 season.

Congrats on the promotion, Coach Z 🤘👏#HookEm pic.twitter.com/NKIhGipTmz
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) February 3, 2026

Zaleski was in her fourth year with the program and had quickly become a key piece in the team’s ability to not only grab its first national title in 2025 but to repeat in 2026.

"Coach Zaleski's promotion to Associate Head Coach is richly deserved," White had said in February. "She has been instrumental to our success – leading our outfielders, serving as first base coach on game day, and elevating our hitters with her approach. Her standards, teaching acumen, and ability to connect with our student-athletes has raised our program's ceiling year-after-year. Texas Softball is better because of Coach Zaleski, and I'm thrilled to keep building with her in this expanded role. Hook 'Em."

Zaleski has had a major influence on the Longhorns’ lineup over the years, and even pushed the team to lead the league with 630 base hits, finish second with 460 RBIs, and third with a .352 batting average and 486 runs scored in 2025. They also ranked inside the top-15 in win/loss percentage (5th /.824), doubles (9th / 99), home runs (9th / 94), slugging (10th / .583), and scoring (14th / 7.15).

As she primarily worked with outfielders, Zaleski mentored several All-SEC selections in their first year in the conference, including Kayden Henry and Ashton Maloney. Zaleski is credited with transforming Henry into the excellent defender and slugger she is today. As a freshman, Zaleski moved Henry to center field, where she became a defensive threat and is now an NFCA All-Central First Team honoree.

Kayden Henry has that 5G coverage in center 📲#HookEm pic.twitter.com/BxqA57I7hs
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) April 25, 2026

In her first season with the team in 2023, Zaleski worked alongside former hitting coach Steve Singleton to guide the Texas offense to a team batting average of .325 to go alongside 52 home runs, 326 runs batted in, and 797 total bases.

Prior to Texas, Zaleski saw stints at Oklahoma (volunteer assistant), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (head coach), and Temple College (head coach).

During the 2022 season, Zaleski served as the volunteer assistant on head coach Patty Gasso’s staff during Oklahoma’s record-setting run to the program’s sixth national title. That year, the Sooners led the league in numerous team categories, including batting average (.371), ERA (1.05), HR’s (155), on-base percentage (.474), scoring (9.34), walks (268), and shutouts (33).

This announcement about Zaleski leaving comes just hours after pitcher Cambria Salmon entered her name in the transfer portal.

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