Pugh comes to the Cowgirls after a successful tenure at Yavapai College
Kali Pugh
Pugh has eight years of experience coaching at the junior college level, including five years at her alma mater, Palomar College, one of the most competitive junior colleges in California, where she honed her skills in team management and player development.
“We will work hard as a program, both on the field and in the classroom,” Pugh said. “Academic achievement will be one of our top priorities. Our team will work hard and have a good time in the process. It’s important that our student athletes learn that they get out of their experience what they put into it.”
“Kali possesses all of the traits of a successful collegiate coach,” NMHU President Neil Woof said. “Her focus on fostering community relationships and her insistence that her players will work hard both on the field and in the classroom is exactly what we were looking for to lead this program.”
Pugh’s extensive playing and coaching experience made her the right candidate for this role.
Her mentorship under two Hall of Fame coaches (Phil McSpadden and Mark Eldridge) has informed her coaching philosophy and relationship-building skills. And her success at Yavapai College is a testament to that fact.
The Yavapai College team that Pugh inherited had only two players entering the 2023 season. During the 2024 season, the Roughriders doubled their win total and then qualified for the ACCAC playoffs in 2025.
Pugh earned her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma City University in 2017 and her master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in 2019.