Tayler Rushing is entering her second year as the assistant coach for the 2021 season.
Rushing helped lead the Greyhounds to a 11-8 overall record, 5-1 conference, primarily coaching catchers and pitchers. The 2020 Greyhounds recorded historic wins including a 7-5 victory over regionally ranked Colorado Mesa and a 14-9 win against UT Permian Basin where the Hounds recorded four home runs, tying a program-high. The Greyhounds finished the season breaking a 35-game losing streak over West Texas A&M, sweeping the Buffs in a double-header (4-3, 5-4).
Rushing comes to Eastern after spending one season as the assistant softball coach for Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Colorado, where she coached the Cougars' pitching staff. Under Rushing's tutelage, CCU finished the 2019 campaign with a 36-16 record overall while placing second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a 28-8 mark in league play, ranking third in the RMAC with a 2.85 earned run average. Rushing mentored All-RMAC First Team pitcher Kenzie Mattie, who finished the season with an 18-6 record, a 1.90 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP and struck out 93 batters.
Prior to CCU, Rushing served as the graduate assistant coach at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, where she coached outfielders and third basemen for the 2018 season.
Rushing moved into the graduate assistant coach role at HPU after a phenomenal four year playing career with the Yellow Jackets between 2013-2017. At Howard Payne, Rushing pitched and played third base and outfield, earning All-American Southwest Conference Second Team honors as a utility player as well as ASC Academic Honor Roll for winter and spring her senior year. During the 2017 campaign, Rushing slashed .367 from the plate with 12 runs and nine RBIs while recording a 7.44 ERA in 16 innings of work.
Rushing earned her Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Sports Science: Personal Training in 2017 and her Master's in Business Administration in 2018 from Howard Payne. Rushing also holds a NASM personal training certification.