Coming off of a 27-29 season, new Head Coach Kristin Vesely will try to help the Cougars return to their winning ways. | Justin Cross/The Cougar
After an extensive nationwide hunt that saw candidates from all over the country being considered, the softball team announced Friday that former Associate Head Coach Kristin Vesely will take over as head coach effective immediately.
“Following an exhaustive national search that took us from coast-to-coast, it was determined with great conviction that the best person to lead our softball program into the future was in our own backyard,” Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said in a news release. “Kristin is a talented individual and well respected throughout the college softball world. She has an incredible vision for the future of our softball program combined with a strong work ethic. I look forward to watching our student-athletes develop and compete under her leadership.”
Vesely was originally hired by Houston in 2011 as an assistant coach and had spent six seasons under former Head Coach Kyla Holas developing recruiting ties and talent for the Cougars.
Holas resigned from her position on May 14 following a season that saw softball go just 27-29.
As the associate head coach, Vesely’s teams consistently posted offensive statistics that were among the best in the nation. Being a former professional softball player herself, she has proven that her past on-the-field success can translate into teams that she is coaching.
“This is a huge accomplishment in my life and fulfills one of my biggest goals that I have aspired to reach ever since falling in love with the game at an early age,” Vesely said via the news release. “This achievement means so much to me in the fact of having the ability to establish a new tradition and a new history to an already great program.”
The last two seasons have been a struggle for the softball team as they have managed to go just 55-56 in the span. Softball looks to get back to their winning ways that saw them reach the postseason four straight seasons from 2011-2014.
“When people watch the University of Houston, they are going to see a team that is passionate about the game, our University and our city,” Vesely said. “They are also going to see a team that plays extremely aggressive as it will be a team that is predicated on being mentally and physically tough.”
