Few teams at Texas rack up more miles than the women’s golf program — they have competed at home only once in the last four seasons. Behind every flight, hotel and cross-country trip is the newest addition to the team’s coaching staff, Assistant Coach and Director of Operations Mikayla Ash.
Ash joined the program in July 2025 after a two-year stint as associate head coach at Arizona State and has prior assistant coaching experience at Tulsa and the University of Denver. Now, she wears two hats at UT, where she not only coaches but also manages team affairs.
“I get to have two roles, and they both are very hands-on with the student-athlete,” Ash said. “That’s what I love most about my job: the quality time with student athletes and just trying to be a light in their world.”
One way she fosters closeness with the team is via travel, which she facilitates for every tournament, working closely with Anthony Travel to arrange flights and coordinating with tournament hosts to secure accommodations.
“Her attention to detail and exceptional organization ensure that our team’s daily operations run smoothly — from travel and scheduling to practice logistics and tournament preparation,” head coach Laura Ianello wrote in an email. “Because of her efficiency and professionalism, our players and staff are able to stay focused on performance, knowing everything behind the scenes is taken care of.”
Although travel management is a major part of her job, once the team arrives at a tournament, Ash assumes her assistant coach role. Just this season, Ash has seen Minnesota, Illinois, California and, most recently, Hawaii with the team.
Ironically, coaching became an option only after injuries during her collegiate career at Colorado State ended her hopes of playing professionally.
Despite coming from a family of coaches, Ash initially struggled to break into the collegiate coaching scene. Instead, she went on to develop several junior golfing programs in Colorado, including ExperienceGolf and Colorado Golf Association. Her work caught the eye of Lindsay Kuhle, the University of Denver women’s program head coach at the time, who offered her a role as assistant coach.
Now at a Top 15 NCAA Division I program, Ash enjoys greater resources, more time with players and additional management responsibilities. She’s already looking forward to what will be one of her most ambitious assignments yet.
“Next fall, we are going to St. Andrew’s in Scotland and playing the Old Course there, so it’ll be aired on Golf Channel,” Ash said. “And as far as operations are concerned, that’ll be a big one for me to get right, per se, and make sure all of our travel goes to plan, so we can have a great experience over in Scotland.”
Opportunities like planning a trip to the Old Course excite her for the years ahead at UT and fuel her desire to continue growing in the profession. While she hopes to one day step into a head coaching position, Ash takes pride in the difference she can make in her current roles at the University.
“I’m right where I need to be, right where I want to be,” Ash said. “It really is a dream come true, what I get to do every day.”
