OKLAHOMA CITY — Tara Archibald never thought she’d have the chance to share a dugout with her father.
As head coach at Eastern Illinois, Archibald said she had a good thing going leading the Panthers when somebody brought her name up to be the next leader of the Texas Tech softball program. That didn’t amount to much — Archibald said she never interviewed for the job — until her father, Gerry Glasco, took over the Red Raiders.
“We had been told going in that if he took the job,” Archibald said Monday, “that it probably wouldn’t be an opportunity that would happen because of the family relationship there.”
At that point, Archibald put the idea out of her head. She wasn’t looking to leave Eastern Illinois. All’s well that ends well.
Archibald didn’t go into specifics, but thanked Tech director of athletics Kirby Hocutt to “giving us that opportunity.” Glasco’s oldest daughter has spent the year leading one of the nation’s best pitching staffs and handling day-to-day duties with the best pitcher in the country, NiJaree Canady.
“I don’t think I’ve processed it yet, to be honest,” Archibald said after Tech’s 3-2 win over Oklahoma in the semifinals of the 2025 Women’s College World Series, “but it’s a dream come true. When we got the opportunity to do this, I knew it was going to be special no matter what. Just getting to be in the same dugout with my dad is special.”
Glasco spoke before the tournament began about how special it was that he and all of his daughters have had the opportunity to participate in the WCWS. Archibald never got there as a player like her sisters — Erin in 2008 and the late Gery Ann in 2016 — but she’s enjoying this unique experience all the same.
“To get to go through the year we’ve had together,” Archibald said, “yeah, memories that I’ll cherish forever.”
