Softball Adds Taryn Atlee As Director Of Player Development And Innovation
October 02, 2026 | Softball
SEATTLE – Washington softball and head coach Heather Tarr have announced the addition of a former Husky to the coaching staff, adding Taryn Atlee as UW's new Director of Player Development and Innovation.
"Taryn is the perfect person to step into our Player Development and Innovation role," Tarr said. "This position is designed to fully support the growth of our student-athletes in every space - skill development, career development and becoming the best version of yourself in life. Taryn embodies all of that, and she knows exactly how to help our athletes pursue greatness every single day."
"Taryn has every characteristic we need to continue getting greater as a program," Tarr continued. "I'm incredibly proud to welcome her into this role, and I'm excited for our student-athletes to experience her knowledge, her passion and her commitment to their development."
Atlee has served as a head coach for the Corona Angels in Northern California under former Husky and 2009 national champion Jessica Ventoza. During her time with the Angels, Atlee has spent quality one-on-one time with her athletes to provide fielding and hitting instruction.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to come back to Washington and give back to a program that gave me so much," Atlee said. "I know firsthand how special the student-athlete experience at UW can be and my goal is to help our players get everything they can out of their time here — to develop as athletes, students, and people, find joy in the experience, build meaningful relationships and continue becoming the best versions of themselves."
Atlee has also taken charge on running camps and clinics with the Angels and developed and led Elite Mindset training programs focused on building confidence, mental performance, goal setting and helping young athletes grow on and off the field.
The Sacramento, Calif. native excelled in her own playing career before pivoting to the coaching route. Atlee spent her freshman season at Rutgers before transferring to Washington and playing under Coach Tarr from 2018-21.
"Taryn is a Husky through and through," Coach Tarr said. "She understands the demands of competing for a national championship because she's lived them, as a student-athlete here, as a leader, and as someone who has always represented this program with pride and passion."
At Rutgers in 2017, Atlee started all 51 games as a freshman while hitting .393 on the year. A First Team All-Big Ten and All-ECAC Second Team honoree in her first collegiate season, Atlee was also named a Top-25 finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year.
As a Husky, Atlee earned NFCA First Team All-Region and All-Pac-12 honors, helping her team to two Women's College World Series appearances - including national runners-up in 2018 and tying for a third-place WCWS finish in 2019.
"I'm excited to bring the experiences and perspective I've gained since leaving Washington back to Montlake and help create opportunities that impact our players both while they're here and long after softball," Atlee said. "Getting to come back and invest in this program and the women in it alongside Coach Tarr and our staff truly feels like coming home. I can't wait to get to work."
After graduating with a communications degree from Washington in 2021, Atlee continued her softball career professionally, playing overseas in Italy with Bollate.
Atlee grew up in Sacramento, Calif. and played softball at Football High School. She returns to Seattle once again after spending the last five years working in sales at Cisco and coaching the Angels.
"Her experience in the corporate world, combined with her recent work coaching and developing athletes at the 18U level, gives her a unique and powerful skill set," Tarr said. "She understands how to build people, how to communicate, how to organize and how to elevate the standards of a high-performance environment."
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UWSoftball on Instagram, X, Threads, Facebook and TikTok and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
"Taryn is the perfect person to step into our Player Development and Innovation role," Tarr said. "This position is designed to fully support the growth of our student-athletes in every space - skill development, career development and becoming the best version of yourself in life. Taryn embodies all of that, and she knows exactly how to help our athletes pursue greatness every single day."
"Taryn has every characteristic we need to continue getting greater as a program," Tarr continued. "I'm incredibly proud to welcome her into this role, and I'm excited for our student-athletes to experience her knowledge, her passion and her commitment to their development."
Atlee has served as a head coach for the Corona Angels in Northern California under former Husky and 2009 national champion Jessica Ventoza. During her time with the Angels, Atlee has spent quality one-on-one time with her athletes to provide fielding and hitting instruction.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to come back to Washington and give back to a program that gave me so much," Atlee said. "I know firsthand how special the student-athlete experience at UW can be and my goal is to help our players get everything they can out of their time here — to develop as athletes, students, and people, find joy in the experience, build meaningful relationships and continue becoming the best versions of themselves."
Atlee has also taken charge on running camps and clinics with the Angels and developed and led Elite Mindset training programs focused on building confidence, mental performance, goal setting and helping young athletes grow on and off the field.
The Sacramento, Calif. native excelled in her own playing career before pivoting to the coaching route. Atlee spent her freshman season at Rutgers before transferring to Washington and playing under Coach Tarr from 2018-21.
"Taryn is a Husky through and through," Coach Tarr said. "She understands the demands of competing for a national championship because she's lived them, as a student-athlete here, as a leader, and as someone who has always represented this program with pride and passion."
At Rutgers in 2017, Atlee started all 51 games as a freshman while hitting .393 on the year. A First Team All-Big Ten and All-ECAC Second Team honoree in her first collegiate season, Atlee was also named a Top-25 finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year.
As a Husky, Atlee earned NFCA First Team All-Region and All-Pac-12 honors, helping her team to two Women's College World Series appearances - including national runners-up in 2018 and tying for a third-place WCWS finish in 2019.
"I'm excited to bring the experiences and perspective I've gained since leaving Washington back to Montlake and help create opportunities that impact our players both while they're here and long after softball," Atlee said. "Getting to come back and invest in this program and the women in it alongside Coach Tarr and our staff truly feels like coming home. I can't wait to get to work."
After graduating with a communications degree from Washington in 2021, Atlee continued her softball career professionally, playing overseas in Italy with Bollate.
Atlee grew up in Sacramento, Calif. and played softball at Football High School. She returns to Seattle once again after spending the last five years working in sales at Cisco and coaching the Angels.
"Her experience in the corporate world, combined with her recent work coaching and developing athletes at the 18U level, gives her a unique and powerful skill set," Tarr said. "She understands how to build people, how to communicate, how to organize and how to elevate the standards of a high-performance environment."
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UWSoftball on Instagram, X, Threads, Facebook and TikTok and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
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