BREAKING: Chrissy Schoonmaker hired as next coach of Houston softball

Houston softball has named George Washington’s Chrissy Schoonmaker as the program’s third head coach in its 25-year history, Houston athletics announced Tuesday.

“I am honored to join the University of Houston as the next leader of the softball program,” Schoonmaker said in a statement. “I look forward to connecting with our remarkable student-athletes and developing them into champions both in the classroom and on the playing field. Houston is an incredible school with a rich tradition of competitive excellence. This university is special and offers opportunities to young people that are life changing. I look forward to making an impact on the lives of our student-athletes and building this program into a contender in both the Big 12 and on the national scene.”

Schoonmaker marks her return to Houston, where in 2014, en route to an at-large bid and an appearance in the Waco Regional, she served as an assistant under the program’s founding head coach, Kyla Holas. The team set a single-season program record for double plays turned.

After assistant coach stints at Texas Tech, Houston, UConn, Harvard and her alma mater South Carolina, Schoonmaker was named the sixth head coach in George Washington’s program history, where in 2022, she led the Revolutionaries to a 36-17 mark and a second consecutive A-10 regular season title with a 21-3 league campaign. As a result, she was named the A-10 Coach of the Year.

In her tenure at GW, Schoonmaker posted three winning seasons, becoming the only coach in the program’s history to record the mark. Along with the 2022 campaign, it consisted of a 27-win campaign in 2024 and a 33-win campaign in 2025, helping her compile a 113-92 overall head coaching record heading back to Houston.

“I would also like to thank George Washington University, along with our former student-athletes, coaching staff and support staff for their contributions during my tenure in Washington, D.C.,” Schoonmaker said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a guardian of the program and it was a privilege to be surrounded by such incredible people. Our time together was special and I wish the team continued success.”

In mastering every infield position as a player at South Carolina, Schoonmaker was a four-year captain and a member of two NCAA tournament appearances, including reaching the 2007 Evanston Super Regional despite being sidelined that season with a broken neck from a car accident. In a comeback effort the following season, she was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team as a graduate.

“I am excited to welcome Chrissy Schoonmaker back to Houston as our third head coach,” athletic director Eddie Nuñez said in a statement. “This was an exhaustive process where Coach Schoonmaker continued to rise to the top. She has a track record of success in building a program and mentoring young women into the best teammates and versions of themselves. I am confident our softball program is in good hands and that with the support from the tremendous softball community in the City of Houston, the Cougars will compete at the highest level.”

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