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Utah Softball Adds Kaija Gibson to Coaching Staff
7/14/2023 1:07 PM | Softball
Head Coach Amy Hogue hires former UCF assistant to bolster Utes’ brain trust
SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah Softball Head Coach Amy Hogue announced one more addition to her coaching staff on Friday with the hiring of Kaija Gibson as an assistant coach.
"I'd like to announce Kaija Gibson as the final addition to our coaching staff!" said Hogue. "Coach Kai is someone I have tracked throughout her playing career, as well as her young coaching career. She stood out to me on the field as a leader and passionate player and someone who was easy to identify as a great teammate. Kaija is a natural leader with great energy and excitement. Her experience wearing many hats as a player and a coach has prepared her well and we feel blessed she will be joining our staff.
"As of July 1, the NCAA is allowing softball teams to hire a fourth paid coach, and we are blessed that our department is helping to fund this position."
In two seasons with the Golden Knights, Gibson helped UCF pile up nearly 90 victories, capture back-to-back American Athletic Conference Tournament Championships and reach NCAA Super Regionals for first time in school history in 2022. The Knights accumulated 49 victories during that 2022 campaign and ended the year as the nation's No. 14 team. Gibson and the rest of the UCF staff were recognized as the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year and the NFCA Mideast Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
"I feel so grateful to be joining the Utah Softball family," said Gibson "I am honored that I have the opportunity to learn and grow alongside Coach Hogue and the rest of the staff. I can't wait to work with such a talented team and help them become the best versions of themselves on and off the field. This group is special and I'm so lucky to be a part of it!
"Thank you to Coach Tarr and Coach Bear for challenging me to be the best I could be. The growth that I experienced at Washington and UCF helped me become the coach and leader I am today. I will cherish the memories and relationships built in those programs forever. Now I'm back in the PAC! Let's get to work Utes!"
Gibson also brings with her coaching experience at both the professional and youth levels, having helmed the Florida Vibe to a 26-5 record during their first season in 2022 and led Team Seattle to an appearance in the national championship tournament during their 2020-21 campaign.
As a player, Gibson spent five seasons on the diamond for the Washington Huskies and helped the program reach the Women's College World Series three years in-a-row from 2017-19. The Redmond, Washington native was a Pac-12 All-Academic First-Team pick, a three-time Pac-12 Honor Roll selection and earned a pair of NFCA Scholar Athlete Awards. She was also a member of the team's coach appointed leadership group during a career in which she played in over 200 games for the Huskies. In the classroom, she earned a bachelors and a master in education from UW.
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