Photo by: Kaylee Kahn
Koons Prepares for Year 2 with Pro Softball Team
5/20/2026 9:18:00 AM | Softball
Abilene Christian head softball coach Jo Koons will serve in an expanded role in her second season with the professional Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) this summer.
Koons has been promoted to associate head coach of the Utah Talons and will add more administrative duties to her coaching position. In 2025, Koons was an assistant coach with the Talons when they won the inaugural AUSL championship.
"I'll still run the defense primarily," said Koons, who finished her second season as the Wildcats' head coach in early May.
In 2025, the AUSL was made up of four teams traveling around the country to play against each other in a variety of locations. The league broke the record for largest crowd at a softball game in the state of Texas when more than 6,500 fans showed up at Dell Diamond, home of the Round Rock Express - the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
This summer, the league consists of six teams who each now have home cities -- the Talons (Salt Lake City), Texas Volts (Round Rock), Chicago Bandits, Carolina Blaze (Duham, NC), Portland Cascade, and Oklahoma City Spark.
"I am excited to see the fan bases develop, something we didn't really have last summer with each team traveling to different cities," said Koons. "I'm excited to see rivalries form between teams."
LISTEN: ACU Sports Podcast with Jo Koons
Koons said one of her big takeaways from coaching pro players last summer was how being selfless contributed to success, and she relayed that to her players at ACU.
"Yes, they're all [in the AUSL] because they're good at playing softball, but the reason the team is good is because it's not about them. It's about what can they do for the team."
The Talons begin their 25-game regular season on June 9 against the Bandits on ESPN2. The championship series will be played July 23-27 in College Station at Texas A&M's Davis Diamond.
More than 90 games will be broadcast across ABC, ESPN platforms, CBS Sports Network, MLB Network and MLB.TV.
Koons has been promoted to associate head coach of the Utah Talons and will add more administrative duties to her coaching position. In 2025, Koons was an assistant coach with the Talons when they won the inaugural AUSL championship.
"I'll still run the defense primarily," said Koons, who finished her second season as the Wildcats' head coach in early May.
In 2025, the AUSL was made up of four teams traveling around the country to play against each other in a variety of locations. The league broke the record for largest crowd at a softball game in the state of Texas when more than 6,500 fans showed up at Dell Diamond, home of the Round Rock Express - the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
This summer, the league consists of six teams who each now have home cities -- the Talons (Salt Lake City), Texas Volts (Round Rock), Chicago Bandits, Carolina Blaze (Duham, NC), Portland Cascade, and Oklahoma City Spark.
"I am excited to see the fan bases develop, something we didn't really have last summer with each team traveling to different cities," said Koons. "I'm excited to see rivalries form between teams."
LISTEN: ACU Sports Podcast with Jo Koons
Koons said one of her big takeaways from coaching pro players last summer was how being selfless contributed to success, and she relayed that to her players at ACU.
"Yes, they're all [in the AUSL] because they're good at playing softball, but the reason the team is good is because it's not about them. It's about what can they do for the team."
The Talons begin their 25-game regular season on June 9 against the Bandits on ESPN2. The championship series will be played July 23-27 in College Station at Texas A&M's Davis Diamond.
More than 90 games will be broadcast across ABC, ESPN platforms, CBS Sports Network, MLB Network and MLB.TV.
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