Cottrill Joins Schoonmaker’s Staff as Assistant Coach
6/25/2025 4:30:00 PM | Softball
Cottrill brings additional Big 12, SEC experience to Schoonmaker’s staff
HOUSTON – Jeff Cottrill, a long-time hitting coach with stops at Missouri and Oklahoma State, has joined the University of Houston Softball staff, Head Coach Chrissy Schoonmaker announced Wednesday.
"I am super excited to get started," Cottrill said. "I want to thank Coach Schoonmaker and the University of Houston for this opportunity. It was evident early in our discussions that Chrissy and I share the same philosophies and values in coaching which will allow our staff to provide and promote a positive experience for our student-athletes."
Cottrill most recently served as the hitting coach at Mizzou after a stop at Oklahoma State where he spent time as assistant coach and director of operations. Cottrill has been a part of a Power Four staff since beginning his collegiate coaching career in 2017.
"We are thrilled to welcome Jeff and his family to Houston," Schoonmaker said. "Jeff has immense experience at the highest levels of collegiate softball and his knowledge and experience will immediately impact our student-athletes. Jeff has a passion for developing young people, he has deep recruiting ties both in Texas and nationally and when you pair that with his commitment to excellence — it makes him a perfect fit for this program. Jeff is a proven coach with a desire to build the Houston program into a contender. It's an exciting time to be a Houston Cougar and we are excited to welcome Jeff to the coaching staff."
At Mizzou, Cottrill helped the Tigers to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances including a Super Regionals berth in 2024. Mizzou recorded its highest home run total and slugging percentage under Cottrill in 2025, crushing 71 homers and slugging .467.
While in Columbia, Mo., Cottrill mentored NFCA All-Americans in Alex Honnold (Second Team, 2023) and Julia Crenshaw (Third Team, 2025) as well as All-SEC selections in Jenna Laird (2023, 2024), Honnold (2023, 2024), Abby Hay (2024) and Crenshaw (2025).
Honnold, a Top 25 Finalist for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, reached new heights under Cottrill, raising her average by over 100 points in his first year on staff while nearly doubling her slugging percentage from .418 in 2022 to .779 in 2023.
Prior to joining the Tigers, Cottrill spent seven years with Oklahoma State including five as an assistant coach. The Cowgirls made two trips to the Women's College World Series with Cottrill on staff and appeared in the postseason every year during his tenure. He served as director of operations from 2016-17 before becoming the team's pitching coach in 2018-19 and taking oversight of Oklahoma State's hitting from 2020 onward.
During his time as the Cowgirls' hitting coach, the team set new single-season record in runs scored, runs per game, home runs, runs batted in, runs batted in per game, total bases, total bases per game and slugging percentage.
While in Stillwater, Okla., Cottrill guided a trio of All-Americans (Alysen Febrey, Sydney Pennington and Hayley Busby). In 2021, Febrey, Busby and Kiley Naomi posted three of the team's Top Five single-season home run totals in program history while Pennington took over the top spot on the team's career homers list.
In his three years as the team's hitting coach, the Cowgirls never hit below .290 as a team and hit an average of 81 homers per year in the two complete seasons. The team also posted a combined slugging percentage of .512 with over a third of all hits going for extra bases.
During his two-year stint as the pitching coach, Oklahoma State posted ERAs of 2.64 in 2018, a drop of nearly a run on average, and 2.75 in 2019.
In 2019, Cottrill helped manage and call pitches for Samantha Show, leading Oklahoma State to 11 wins over top-15 teams and a program record for ranked victories while capturing its first Women's College World Series appearance since 2011 and highest national ranking since 1998.
The year prior, he coached pitchers Samantha Clakley, Logan Simunek and Emmie Robertson. The trio earned a flurry of notables for the Cowgirls as Clakley earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors, Simunek threw the program's first no-hitter since 2014 and Robertson led the team in ERA and was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week.
Cottrill earned his first stint as a collegiate coach on Head Coach Kenny Gajewski's staff during the 2016 campaign after the team's pitching coach took a leave of absence. He guided the team's pitching corps to a run that marked the team's first trip to the NCAA Regionals since 2011.
Prior to his time at Oklahoma State, Cottrill worked closely with the Wichita Mustangs Softball Academy in Wichita, Kansas. He ran the team's operations in both 2013 and 2014 while also coaching with the club for five years.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Softball by supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective – and by joining the Diamond Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Softball for needs beyond its operating budget.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarSB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Softball. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at @UHCougarSB.
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"I am super excited to get started," Cottrill said. "I want to thank Coach Schoonmaker and the University of Houston for this opportunity. It was evident early in our discussions that Chrissy and I share the same philosophies and values in coaching which will allow our staff to provide and promote a positive experience for our student-athletes."
Cottrill most recently served as the hitting coach at Mizzou after a stop at Oklahoma State where he spent time as assistant coach and director of operations. Cottrill has been a part of a Power Four staff since beginning his collegiate coaching career in 2017.
"We are thrilled to welcome Jeff and his family to Houston," Schoonmaker said. "Jeff has immense experience at the highest levels of collegiate softball and his knowledge and experience will immediately impact our student-athletes. Jeff has a passion for developing young people, he has deep recruiting ties both in Texas and nationally and when you pair that with his commitment to excellence — it makes him a perfect fit for this program. Jeff is a proven coach with a desire to build the Houston program into a contender. It's an exciting time to be a Houston Cougar and we are excited to welcome Jeff to the coaching staff."
At Mizzou, Cottrill helped the Tigers to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances including a Super Regionals berth in 2024. Mizzou recorded its highest home run total and slugging percentage under Cottrill in 2025, crushing 71 homers and slugging .467.
While in Columbia, Mo., Cottrill mentored NFCA All-Americans in Alex Honnold (Second Team, 2023) and Julia Crenshaw (Third Team, 2025) as well as All-SEC selections in Jenna Laird (2023, 2024), Honnold (2023, 2024), Abby Hay (2024) and Crenshaw (2025).
Honnold, a Top 25 Finalist for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, reached new heights under Cottrill, raising her average by over 100 points in his first year on staff while nearly doubling her slugging percentage from .418 in 2022 to .779 in 2023.
Prior to joining the Tigers, Cottrill spent seven years with Oklahoma State including five as an assistant coach. The Cowgirls made two trips to the Women's College World Series with Cottrill on staff and appeared in the postseason every year during his tenure. He served as director of operations from 2016-17 before becoming the team's pitching coach in 2018-19 and taking oversight of Oklahoma State's hitting from 2020 onward.
During his time as the Cowgirls' hitting coach, the team set new single-season record in runs scored, runs per game, home runs, runs batted in, runs batted in per game, total bases, total bases per game and slugging percentage.
While in Stillwater, Okla., Cottrill guided a trio of All-Americans (Alysen Febrey, Sydney Pennington and Hayley Busby). In 2021, Febrey, Busby and Kiley Naomi posted three of the team's Top Five single-season home run totals in program history while Pennington took over the top spot on the team's career homers list.
In his three years as the team's hitting coach, the Cowgirls never hit below .290 as a team and hit an average of 81 homers per year in the two complete seasons. The team also posted a combined slugging percentage of .512 with over a third of all hits going for extra bases.
During his two-year stint as the pitching coach, Oklahoma State posted ERAs of 2.64 in 2018, a drop of nearly a run on average, and 2.75 in 2019.
In 2019, Cottrill helped manage and call pitches for Samantha Show, leading Oklahoma State to 11 wins over top-15 teams and a program record for ranked victories while capturing its first Women's College World Series appearance since 2011 and highest national ranking since 1998.
The year prior, he coached pitchers Samantha Clakley, Logan Simunek and Emmie Robertson. The trio earned a flurry of notables for the Cowgirls as Clakley earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors, Simunek threw the program's first no-hitter since 2014 and Robertson led the team in ERA and was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week.
Cottrill earned his first stint as a collegiate coach on Head Coach Kenny Gajewski's staff during the 2016 campaign after the team's pitching coach took a leave of absence. He guided the team's pitching corps to a run that marked the team's first trip to the NCAA Regionals since 2011.
Prior to his time at Oklahoma State, Cottrill worked closely with the Wichita Mustangs Softball Academy in Wichita, Kansas. He ran the team's operations in both 2013 and 2014 while also coaching with the club for five years.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Softball by supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective – and by joining the Diamond Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Softball for needs beyond its operating budget.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarSB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Softball. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at @UHCougarSB.
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