With 16 years of coaching experience at various levels, Tara Glasco Archibald, a former NCAA Scholar Athlete award winner at Southern Illinois and pitching coach at Georgia, enters her third season at Illinois State in 2019-20.
With the Redbirds, Archibald is responsible for developing the ISU pitching staff. Under her guidance, she mentored ISU starting pitcher Morgan Day to an all-conference performance in 2019, as the sophomore nearly doubled her strikeout numbers from her rookie campaign in 2018.
Archibald comes from Field House Sports in Millican, Texas where she worked as the Sports Administrator and Lead Softball Instructor. Archibald’s 15 years of experience began at the junior high school level working up to the collegiate level, in addition to private coaching and travel league experience.
A native on Johnston City, Illinois, Archibald previously served as an assistant coach working primarily with pitchers at Georgia from 2011 to 2014 while coordinating travel, scheduling, camps, recruiting, and serving as the team’s academic liaison. The Bulldogs won NCAA Regional championships, appearing in the Super Regional in 2012 and 2014 while winning the SEC Championship in 2014 and making an NCAA Regional appearance in 2013. In 2014, Archibald led sophomore pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson to two consecutive NFCA National Pitcher of the Week awards, the 2014 SEC Tournament MVP accolade, and first-team All-SEC, NFCA, All-Region, and NFCA All-American honors. Archibald coached Wilkinson from a 3.71 ERA in 2013 to 2.10 in 2014, while more than doubling her strikeout numbers from 112 to 229. Calling pitches for the Georgia staff, Archibald called a no-hitter against NC State in the 2014 Regional Championship later advancing to the Super Regional. In addition to Wilkinson, Archibald mentored Erin Arevalo to All-SEC, All-Region, and NFCA All-American honors in 2012 by dropping her ERA from 3.28 in 2011 to 1.40 in 2012 and increasing her strikeouts from 51 to 270.
Prior to Georgia, Archibald served as a manager and coach of the Southern Force Softball Organization from 2003 to 2011. Through her role with the Southern Force, an elite level travel ball program, Archibald developed and assisted over 50 high school athletes in earning college scholarships including eight that went on to earn collegiate All-America honors. Archibald led the Southern Force Organization to five Final Four appearances at the ASA 16U "A" Nationals including a Runner-Up National Championship in 2007. Her squad also finished second in the 16U Independence Day Tournament in Boulder, Colorado, in 2007 and then won the tournament in 2011.
Additionally, Archibald was an assistant coach at Pinckneyville High School from 2005 to 2006. The Panthers won Conference, Regional and Sectional Championships in both 2005 and 2006, and in 2005, they advanced to finish fourth at the IHSA State Tournament. Archibald also served as the head coach of the Pinckneyville Middle School team from 2005-06 where she led her squad to a regional championship and a fourth-place finish at the IJHSAA State Tournament.
A member of the Southern Illinois University softball team from 2000-03, Archibald helped the Salukis earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament win in 2003 en route to advancing to the school's first Sweet 16 appearance. Archibald also excelled in the classroom at SIU as a four-time NCAA Scholar Athlete Award winner and recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award in 2003.
In 2004, Archibald completed her Bachelor's Degree at SIU in Elementary Education, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She then taught junior high language arts from 2004-05 at CUSD #204 in Pinckneyville and third grade at Pinckneyville Elementary school.
Archibald is married to Bryan Archibald, and they have three children: Aidan, Maddux and Payton.
