UIC softball head coach Megan Coronado helping to reignite the Flames
After winning nine games last year, UIC softball is seeing progress this season.
They're being led by new head coach Megan Coronado, who is a former player with roots that run deep in Chicago.
Coronado is helping ignite the Flames in her first season as head coach at UIC.
"Keep growing. It's never enough, I think, especially for this program. I'm so excited to see where we go, but staying humble in that, and what does that mean as far as this season right now, what can we do to get better?" she said.
A mentality that helped Coronado win a lot of games as a former DePaul standout who played under Eugene Lenti. The Blue Demons' winningest head coach of 37 years is an assistant on her staff.
"Meagan's grittiness, really, she was gritty. She was versatile too, she's left-handed, but she played first base for us, she played second base for us, she played the outfield. She knows what she's doing, she's very articulate, she's very in tune of what the girls need," he said.
"Learning," Coronado said. I never stopped learning. I think that's one of the things he taught us early on as athletes, when we played for him, there's something you can always be doing more for your athletes or for your program. We have a bunch of kids that are playing positions that they probably didn't start playing when they first started softball, but they were willing to do whatever it took for this team," Coronado said.
That's led to positive results with the Flames surpassing last year's win total and conference win total early on this season.
"Each game we learn something new, and I think that's really special that we have so much growing to do because we don't want to hit our peak right now, so I think that's really good," said infielder Sam Tourtillott.
Having a head coach who knows what it takes to make three NCAA tourney appearances and two NCAA regional finals as a player isn't the only thing that's been good for this team.
"I've never had a coach like in it with us, like doing everything with us, not only doing it but winning, winning our spirits lifting the most on the team, and I think that really just sets the tone for us," Tourtillott said.
"Having a coach that's like willing to like want to help you, make you better every single day, like she plays with us. She's as competitive as we are," said utility player Siena Stickney.
If teams take on the personality of their head coach, expect UIC to always have competitive players under Coronado.
"That flame, that ignition, that competition it's here, and I knew it was here. And I believe in the city of Chicago as far as what talent is here and what we have to offer," Coronado said.
