Coaching Staff

Katie Neubauer joined the University of Tampa softball program as it's top assistant coach in May of 2021.

Neubauer came to Tampa after two seasons as an assistant coach at Tusculum University. In that position, she assisted in running all aspects of the NCAA Division II program. Assisting in daily practice plans, she was the head of infield and offense. She was also charged with assisting with pitchers and outfielders. Among her duties were managing and monitoring student athlete's academic progress, making academic meeting times and study hall hours based on schedule and GPA's. She also played a chief role in promoting the program through social media, assisting in travel arrangements, recruiting, scouting, equipment management and various other in-office tasks. She also communicated with recruits individually and assisted with potential student-athlete visits while passing and abiding by all NCAA rules and regulations.

Among her feats at Tusculum include the best start in program history and the first National Player of the Week honor in program history. She also coached the first Player of the Week since 2013 and had two Players of the Week in the season, marking the first time having two in a season since 2005. The Pioneers averaged 1.09 home runs per game and 6.5 runs per game, along with the second-best field percentage in program history. Among the academic improvements was an Academic All-District Honor.

Prior to her stint at Tusculum, Neubauer served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis under long-time head coach Melissa Frost. For the Greyhounds, she assisted in running all aspects of the NCAA Division II program. Neubauer helped plan the daily practices while instructing both the offense and defense. She managed and monitored the student-athletes academic progress, alongside managing the fundraising budget. Neubauer assisted with travel arrangements, community service projects, field maintenance, organization of camps, recruiting, scouting, equipment management, and various in-office tasks. UIndy appeared in two consecutive regional tournaments during Neubauer's tenure, along with a 2019 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) regular-season championship. The Greyhounds were ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 poll for seven straight weeks in 2018 and 11 consecutive weeks during the 2019 season.

Neubauer played for three seasons at Roosevelt University as a shortstop, third baseman, and pitcher under Amanda Scott and Lauren Lappin. (Scott now coaches at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, while Lappin is the head coach for the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Chicago Bandits and Scott's assistant coach at UMSL.) She spent the 2017 season as a student assistant coach, helping to run the NAIA program by organizing, scheduling, and managing the team. Neubauer aided in the success of the student-athletes in the classroom and on the field, including instructing the offense, defense, and pitchers.

Neubauer also played the 2013 season at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside as a pitcher and third baseman.

Outside of college athletics, Neubauer also has worked as a softball trainer and mentor to young athletes (ages 8-18) since 2011. She specifically instructed hitting and pitching. Neubauer also coached teenagers for three years (2014-17) as a part of the Kane County Xplosion Travel Softball Organization. She additionally assisted with the college recruitment process by communicating with collegiate coaches and helped schedule camps.

A 2017 graduate of Roosevelt University, Neubauer obtained a bachelor of arts in biology and psychology at the Chicago, Illinois school. She also holds a master of arts degree in psychology from the University of Indianapolis, dated in 2019.

Denise Rubio | Assistant Coach

Jaci Davis is in her 13th season as The University of Tampa's pitching coach, where she has been instrumental in guiding one of the nation's premiere pitching staffs.

At UT, Davis has coached three All-American's in Deanna Henriott, Kayla Cox and Julia Morrow. They rank 1-2-3 in the program's strikeout records as Cox was named the 2013 Daktronics Ron Lenz National Pitcher of the Year.

Prior to coaching at UT, she spent two years as Georgia State University's pitching coach. While at Georgia State, she served as the recruiting coordinator, camp director and fundraising coordinator.

Davis was also instrumental in developing the Team FLA softball organization, which finished fifth at the 2003 ASA nationals. Prior to that, she spent three years working at The Pitchers Mound in Atlanta.

In her playing career, she was a four-year letter winner for Georgia State University, as she earned all-conference and All American honors.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., she still holds Missouri state high school career records in strikeouts, wins and innings pitched. She was a four year All American, all-state and all-conference pitcher at Wentzville High School.