Eastern’s softball head coach of five years, Tara Archibald, is leaving the program for Texas Tech, where her father Gerry Glasco was named head coach on June 20. 

Archibald is expected to coach on her father’s staff for the 2025 softball season. Eastern’s athletic director, Tom Michael, announced Archibald was stepping down on June 28. 

“I know this was a very difficult decision for her to make, but it was also a once in a lifetime opportunity as her dad was just hired to lead a program in the Big 12 Conference,” said Michael. 

Archibald is leaving Eastern with a 148-136 record over the past five years. From 2020-2024, she has ended the season with a winning record. Archibald closed the 2024 season at 40-17, which ties the school record for most wins in a season since Eastern transitioned into Division I. 

In 2023, her team went on a run to win the OVC championship. They were the runners up to Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) in 2024. 

Archibald is the second Eastern coach to leave for a new job this summer. In late May, women’s basketball head coach Matt Bollant left to coach at Bryan College, which competes in the NAIA (a separate athletic association from the NCAA, which focuses on smaller schools). 

The athletics department’s search to fill both these positions is still ongoing. 

“We will move quickly to hire the next Panthers softball head coach as the foundation for success has been built for this program to continue to thrive in the years ahead,” said Michael. 

Archibald thanked both Michael and Eastern’s President Jay Gatrell for their investment into the softball program. She also thanked the players and families that she worked with for the past five years. 

Texas Tech hired Archibald’s father, Glasco, to be their 11th head coach in program history.  

Glasco is most known for being the head coach of the University of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns from 2018 to 2024. At Louisiana, the Ragin’ Cajuns won four Sun Belt Conference (SBC) championships and five SBC regular season titles. 

Glasco will be taking over a Texas Tech team that went 29-21 in 2024, losing to Texas in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Softball Tournament.