New Utah State Softball head coach Kristen Zaleski adds to her coaching staff

Utah State University’s softball team looks to begin a new era in Logan with the hiring of new head coach Kristen Zaleski. After a difficult season in which the Aggies finished 10th in the Mountain West Conference and saw the mid-season departure of head coach Todd Judge, the Aggies look to have a fresh start upon their entry to the Pac-12 with a new coaching staff. 

Zaleski was announced as the 11th head coach in Utah State Softball history by director of athletics Cameron Walker on June 18. Zaleski has 16 years of coaching experience, being part of four national champion teams. 

“Kristen is a proven culture-builder and winner,” Walker said. “She understands what it takes to compete at the highest level, and I’m excited to work alongside her as we build a sustainable, nationally competitive program in Logan while providing a first-class student-athlete experience.” 

Zaleski’s most recent coaching position was as assistant head coach for the University of Texas at Austin, helping to lead the Longhorns to back-to-back national championships in 2025 and 2026. In 2026, under Zaleski, the Longhorns won 53 games and saw three players receive All-American Honors. In 2025, Zaleski helped the Longhorns to a program record 56 wins, with three players earning All-American honors. 

Before her time at Texas, Zaleski was part of the 2023 University of Oklahoma coaching staff that helped lead the Sooners to a national championship. She served as head coach of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi from 2021 to 2022. She also spent nine years as head coach of Temple College, where she held a .765 winning percentage as a head coach, winning five league titles and winning the 2018 NJCAA national championship. 

As a player, Zaleski spent four years with Texas State University, where she earned All-American honors twice, as well as earning Southland Conference Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year in 2003 and 2004. She also played five seasons of professional softball following her collegiate career. 

“I am incredibly honored to join the Utah State family, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to Utah State Vice President and director of athletics Cameron Walker for his confidence in me and the opportunity to lead the Aggie softball program,” Zaleski said. “Cameron and I share a clear and ambitious vision for the future, focused on building a championship-caliber program as we prepare for the transition to the Pac-12…. We are going to build something special in Logan, and I am excited to get to work.” 

In addition to Zaleski, USU has hired Robyn Leighton as an assistant coach. Leighton has spent the past four seasons with the University of the Incarnate Word, where she was part of the program’s third- and fourth-winningest seasons. She also served as an assistant for Eastern Kentucky University for three years. 

The third new addition to the Aggies’ coaching staff is assistant coach Jim Bray. Bray has spent the last three seasons as assistant coach for the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he helped the team make large improvements in offense, including a 25% increase in batting average and hits, and a 21% increase in runs scored and runs batted in. Prior to his time with UTSA, he spent a season as an assistant for Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, where he helped the team to a 51-win season. 

Apdiel Vazquez was announced as another assistant coach on Thursday, joining the staff after spending the 2026 season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Nicholls. Vazquez has also spent time at various D-II and NAIA schools in different positions. 

With uneven success in recent years, the Aggies look to begin a new chapter of success as they enter the Pac-12.