Oregon Ducks softball assistant coach Jimmy Kolaitis has been hired by UAB to be its head coach.

Kolaitis had been on Mike White's UO staff since 2014, where he served as recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. In his first season, the Ducks set school records for runs, RBIs, average and slugging percentage and advanced to the first of their four Women's College World Series appearances during his time in Eugene.

Jimmy Kolaitis

This season, en route to another WCWS appearance and the program's top overall seed in the NCAA tournament -- the second time UO captured the top seed in Kolaitis' tenure -- UO ranked seventh nationally in batting average, ninth in home runs per game, 10th in scoring and 14th in on-base percentage. While at Oregon, Kolaitis has also worked as an assistant with the National Pro Fastpitch League.

The hiring at UAB is a homecoming for Kolaitis, who grew up in Alabama and started his career there. He worked as the director of operations for Troy's baseball team from 2004-08 -- he also graduated from Troy in 2007 -- and was an assistant and recruiting coordinator with South Alabama's softball program for five seasons prior to joining Oregon's staff.

"I am extremely humbled and excited to be the next head softball coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham," Kolaitis said, as part of a news release. "We are looking to build a championship culture based on strong core values. It's an honor to have the opportunity to continue to build off the foundation of this program."

-- Andrew Greif

agreif@oregonian.com

Correction: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated the Oregon Ducks captured the school's first top NCAA Tournament seed in 2018. It also happened in 2014.