SAN ANTONIO – Talk about a summer to remember for Mac Morgan.
Mere weeks after hoisting a national championship trophy with the Texas Longhorns, Morgan is diving headfirst into her first coaching gig as the University of Texas at San Antonio’s new pitching coach.
“I’m very proud of myself sitting here now knowing little Mac would’ve never dreamed to do this if she never played college softball,” Morgan said. “Little Mac is living her dream right now, and that’s the best thing that anyone could have.”
Morgan was nicknamed “The Bulldog” in college, coined by Texas head coach Mike White before Morgan even threw her first pitch as a Longhorn.
It stuck for good reason.
“My demeanor during the game is very serious, but I’m still out there having fun,” Morgan said. “I know it was a business call for me when I got on the mound.”
Morgan transferred to Texas following a decorated freshman season at Arizona State. She then made waves her sophomore season, pacing the Longhorns’ pitching staff with seven complete games and five shutouts.
Her junior season was even bigger — 16-1, a 1.96 ERA, and multiple no-hitters.
Then came her senior year, where Morgan’s steady performance in the Women’s College World Series, tossing six scoreless innings in two appearances, helped Texas clinch its first-ever national title.
Morgan’s stifling arm — paired with her serious and intimidating demeanor, boded well for her in college.
However, how will she translate it to coaching?
“It’s just teaching these girls that it is a business call, but you can find fun within it, like being out there with your team and getting the outs and celebrating all of the little things because you have the ball every moment of the game,” she said. “It’s just finding little moments for your teammates and within yourself to help you continue that demeanor to be out there and be composed, but still celebrate and show the passion.”
Morgan is bringing valuable championship experience to UTSA, a program that hasn’t seen a winning season since 2015 and struggled with a 5.33 team ERA last year.
“I think the Roadrunners do have a great potential, and I think the big thing this year is we’re going to be pushing on believing in themselves and coming together and having that united family feeling, cause that’s when gets everybody through the hard challenges,” Morgan said. “There’s always going to be the hard things in the softball world, but it’s how you respond it, and if you come together and strengthen that bond rather than let it break, that’s what’s going to make us even better.”
It’s a tall task for a first-time coach, but with the highly touted Vann Stuedeman leading the charge, known as a pitching development guru, UTSA is in good hands.
Morgan’s first mission? Get her pitchers to dream big.
“The first thing I want to do is have them set their goal, and I’m giving my all and all my resources to them to help them meet their goal,” Morgan said. “I’m going to have them set a goal at the beginning of the year and revisit it right before the season and make sure we’re getting on track for it and making sure they all believe in themselves as much as I believe in them.”
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