SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State softball head coach Ricci Woodard has announced the addition of former USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist, All-American and accomplished head coach Alisa Goler as the program's new hitting coach. A proven standout on the field and a respected leader, Goler brings a track record of success at every level of the game.

Goler arrives in San Marcos following six seasons as the head coach at Western Illinois, where she guided the Leathernecks to historic milestones while continuing to build a reputation as one of the sport's premier offensive minds.

"We are thrilled to welcome Alisa to our softball family," said Woodard. "She brings an incredible combination of coaching experience, player development expertise and championship-level perspective. Her track record of developing hitters, mentoring student-athletes and building successful programs speaks for itself. She is a tremendous addition to our staff, and we are excited for the impact she will have on our players both on and off the field."

Goler led Western Illinois to a historic 2026 campaign, guiding the Leathernecks to their first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Tournament appearance. Under her leadership, Payton Brown and Ruby Tarr earned First Team All-OVC honors. In 2025, Brown was named OVC Player of the Year, OVC Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-OVC, while also earning All-Region recognition.

Beyond her collegiate success, Goler has gained recognition on the national and professional stages. In 2025, she was selected as head coach of the AUSL Blaze during Athletes Unlimited Softball League's inaugural season. She also served as an assistant coach for the USA Softball Junior Women's National Teams, helping guide the 15U squad to a bronze medal at the WBSC Championship in Italy and the 18U team to a gold medal at the WBSC Championship in Oklahoma City.

Prior to her tenure at Western Illinois, Goler spent two seasons at Penn State, where she helped engineer one of the most productive offensive stretches in program history. The Nittany Lions set a school record with 49 home runs in 2019 while posting one of the top batting averages and slugging percentages in program history.

Before Penn State, Goler served as Syracuse's recruiting coordinator and infield and hitting coach before being elevated to associate head coach. During her time with the Orange, the program established single-season records in batting average, hits and on-base percentage. Syracuse produced four NFCA All-Region selections in 2017, while Sydney O'Hara earned NFCA Third Team All-America honors.

Goler began her collegiate coaching career at Roosevelt University (Ill.) in 2014 after completing one of the most decorated playing careers in Georgia softball history.

A three-time All-American and three-time First Team All-SEC selection, Goler was a finalist for the 2009 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. She still ranks among the most accomplished players in Georgia history, setting single-season school records in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, RBI, extra-base hits and total bases.

Following her collegiate career, Goler played seven seasons professionally in National Pro Fastpitch after being selected by the Chicago Bandits in the 2011 NPF Draft. She was named the league's Rookie of the Year in 2011 and earned All-NPF honors twice during her professional career.

A standout student-athlete as well, Goler was a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, a member of the SEC Community Service Team, a First Team Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honoree and a CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection. Goler earned both her bachelor's degree in recreation and leisure studies and her master's degree in education from the University of Georgia.