For almost all players in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the sport is their full-time job. But how it fills their time varies.
Some are athletes year-round, playing in the AUSL and with leagues overseas. Many organize camps or give lessons. A large portion of the athletes spend the rest of the year back in a college program as a coach.
These are the 20 athletes on a coaching staff this year, filling out their offseason with experiences from a different perspective.
Carolina Blaze
Almost half of Carolina’s roster is coaching in college right now.
Aubrey Leach is the longest-tenured coach of the group; she is in her sixth season with Tennessee softball and her second as the director of player development. Leach spent three seasons at her alma mater as a graduate assistant while pursuing a Juris Doctor. Keilani Ricketts brings veteran professional and international experience to the University of the Pacific. She became the Tigers’ pitching coach in July of 2024 and has been there since.
Kayla Kowalik is in her second season at Texas Tech, after helping lead the Red Raiders to the Women’s College World Series Championship last year. Also in year two as a coach is Jenna Laird at Adelphi University.
Val Cagle and Jala Wright are both in their first coaching seasons. Cagle, a Clemson product, stayed in South Carolina and is an assistant at Furman. Wright is back with her alma mater. Duke Head Coach Marissa Young hired the recent grad as an assistant.
Young said that as a Blue Devil, it was always clear that Wright wanted to go into coaching.
“I’m thankful I can be a small part of her journey, mentoring her as a new coach in this game while also supporting her aspiration as a pro athlete,” Young said. “The fact she gets to do it both and do both now here at home is really cool.”
Chicago Bandits
The Bandits have athletes working in significant roles with college programs. Morgan Zerkle is in her third year as the head coach of her alma mater, Marshall. The Herd improved to a second-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference under Zerkle in 2025, and the team’s win total increased by six games with five more SBC victories.
Taylor McQuillin was promoted to associate head coach at Southern Utah University this offseason. McQuillin is known for her breadth of experience as a pro in the U.S., Japan, and on Team Mexico. This is her second year with the Thunderbirds after helping lead the 2025 team to a third-place regular-season finish in the WAC and a second straight WAC tournament appearance.
Reigning AUSL MVP Erin Coffel enters her second year on the Florida Gators coaching staff as a graduate manager. She is pursuing a master’s degree in sport management at Florida.
Portland Cascade
Sierra Sacco Ferrie returned to her alma mater to join the staff as a student assistant. Sacco spent two seasons in Starkville, earning All-SEC honors both years. As a senior, she was a consensus All-American.
In an article announcing the addition of Sacco Ferrie to the staff, Head Coach Samantha Ricketts said:
“We are so thankful that we get to keep Sierra Sacco and Lexi Sosa in Starkville a little while longer as the newest members of our support staff. Coming off her first summer as a pro softball player, Sierra will start her coaching career assisting with the hitters and outfield.”
Paige Sinicki, Ali Newland, and Kendra Falby are all grad assistants pursuing higher degrees through college programs this year.
Sinicki, an NFCA Gold Glove award winner, joined the staff at Utah. Newland enters her second year with NC State, working for one of her former LSU coaches. Falby returns home to Gainesville to pursue a sports management certificate. She is assisting Florida‘s hitters and outfielders and serves as the first-base coach during games.
Oklahoma City Spark
The Spark has six athletes on staff at universities this spring.
Sydney Romero continues to coach at the University of Oregon in her third season as assistant coach on Melyssa Lombardi’s staff, which was named the NFCA Regional Staff of the Year in both 2024 and 2025. During her first season in Eugene, Romero was instrumental in the development of Gold Glove shortstop Paige Sinicki, the first Duck to win a Gold Glove.
After a year of playing for Stacey Nuveman-Deniz on the Bandits, Bubba Nickles-Camarena joined her coaching staff at San Diego State University. Nickles-Camarena is in her third year of coaching and serves as an assistant on the Aztecs staff.
Sydney McKinney will be a double Shocker, now joining her alma mater as a graduate assistant. McKinney is the most decorated softball player in program history, earning All-America honors three times and a two-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Alongside former Talon Victoria Hayward, Delanie Wisz is on staff at the University of Nevada. Last year, Wisz was part of the first-year Wolf Pack staff under Hayward, which went 18-4 in conference play and captured the program’s first Mountain West regular season championship.
After a record-breaking career at Auburn, Maddie Penta has been on staff at James Madison University as the pitching coach. She spent all four years of her collegiate career under former JMU Head Coach Mickey Dean.
Haley Lee joined the UT Dallas staff as an assistant coach in November 2024 and helped the program through their first season transitioning to Division II. She primarily works with the Comet offense.
Texas Volts
Danieca Coffey will stay close to LSU after her rookie year with the Volts this past summer. She joined Baton Rouge Community College as an assistant coach for the 2026 season. As a Tiger, she is in the top 10 in the record books in on-base percentage, batting average, walks, triples, and assists.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.
