Former Wildcat Rising Through the Coaching Ranks

Thursday afternoon, it was announced that former Wildcats star pitcher Taylor McQuillin has been promoted at Southern Utah University to associate head coach after making an impact on the pitching staff, recruiting and team culture.

McQuillin has helped Southern Utah to its most successful season in a decade. Under her the Thunderbirds saw an improvement in the circle, cutting the team’s ERA nearly in half while improving the offense as they doubled theier home run total and earned the No. 3 seed in the WAC Tournament.

"Taylor's rise to associate head coach is a testament to her championship mindset and elite-level experience,” said head coach Don Don Williams. “She brings a wealth of international, Division I, and professional expertise, having excelled at Arizona, competed for Team Mexico in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and played professionally in the NPF, Japan's Diamond League, and Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

"Since joining our staff, Taylor has demanded excellence every single day, particularly in the bullpen, but perhaps more importantly, in the way our team approaches competition. Her relentless drive and high standards directly fueled our improved performance last season. I'm thrilled to elevate her to Associate Head Coach as she continues shaping our program's mentality and performance at the highest level."

Before getting into caoching, McQuillin was a stud pitcher for Arizona from 2016 to 2019 where she helped the program end a 9-year Women’s College World Series drought in her senior season.

In her Arizona Career, McQuillin had a record of 80-32 in 134 appearnaces posting a 1.95 ERA in 697 ⅓ innings of work while striking out 815 batters. She managed to toss 77 complete games and 33 career shutouts.

"I'm honored to take this next step with a team and staff that believes in pushing boundaries and doing things the right way," McQuillin said. "We're just getting started at Southern Utah, and I'm excited to help lead this group as we continue raising our standard."

McQuillin started her coaching career at Arizona where she helped the Wildcats to a 41-15 record and a trip to the Women's College World Series as a graduate assistant.

Arizona has had a long list of former players that have made an impact on the game after Arizona. Now, McQuillin is starting to rise in the coaching ranks and may soon be in a dugout as a head coach one day in the near future.