Almost immediately after the Texas softball team secured its second consecutive Women's College World Series title, the Longhorns learned that two key assistant coaches were leaving the program: Kristen Zaleski and Ehren Earleywine.
Since then, while simultaneously working his magic in the transfer portal, head coach Mike White has added former Southeastern Louisiana head coach Rick Fremin to his staff, and he just made a second addition.
Former Arizona Wildcats assistant coach Amber Freeman has been named as the newest assistant for the Texas Longhorns, charged with leading the usually dominant offense.
Freeman spent nearly three years with the Wildcats, coaching the hitters and catchers throughout her tenure at Arizona. In her final season with the team, she led the 'Cats to a .340 batting average, which ranked third in the Big 12 standings.
Amber Freeman joins Texas softball as hitting coach
Now, while her role with catchers wasn't mentioned in the report, Freeman is set to coach the Horns' hitters, hopefully improving an already white-hot offensive unit for Texas.
According to Arizona softball's site, Freman joined the Wildcats after spending time at "Georgia, Cal, and Vanguard University and is part of the USA Softball coaching pool." She played collegiate softball for the Arizona State Sun Devils before playing in the National Pro Fastpitch softball league.
White hiring Freeman by no means is a sign that the Longhorns were expecting to struggle at the plate next season. Texas retained record-setting home run hitter Katie Stewart, after all, and just earned a .335 batting average in 2026.
NEWS: Texas will hire Arizona assistant Amber Freeman to lead the Longhorn offense. https://t.co/kIKAeoOt6S
— Softball America (@SoftbalAmerica) June 24, 2026
However, true to White's usual mindset, even after winning a second straight National Championship, there is always room for improvement, and that is exactly what Freeman brings to the table (or, to the plate, I should say).
Meanwhile, Fremin was brought onto the staff to play a role on both sides of the ball for Texas after wrapping up his decade-plus tenure at SLU with a dominant 394-213 overall record.
Also read: Texas is pulling off what Patty Gasso could only dream of in softball transfer portal
Freeman slides perfectly into Earleywine's position with the Horns, bringing the offensive prowess back to the dugout after the former Texas assistant's departure for the same role with the Tennessee Volunteers. A week ago, Zaleski was named as the newest head coach of the Utah State softball team.
Beyond rebuilding the coaching staff, White has also filled the expected holes on the roster, finding (hopefully equitable) replacements for second baseman Leighann Goode and catcher Reese Atwood, as well as adding a little more depth to the Texas pitching staff.
Texas softball transfer portal additions
- Samantha Swan, catcher, graduate athlete from Arizona State
- Samantha Lincoln, pitcher, sophomore from Texas Tech
- Isa Torres, infielder, junior from Florida State
Already, the Longhorns' roster and coaching staff look primed for a return trip to the Women's College World Series, if not a third consecutive National Championship. Now, it's just time for White to make sure all of the pieces fit together properly.
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