University of Illinois (Chicago)

"Coach Buksa means well and was someone you could go to if you needed to talk—on her good days, she was laid-back and approachable. However, the inconsistency in her behavior made it hard to know what version of her you were going to get. Some days were smooth, and other days felt unpredictable and tense. One of the biggest concerns was her level of professionalism. She often shared information with players that was inappropriate or simply not our place to know. She made personal jabs, frequently commented on players’ weight, and created an uncomfortable environment for some of the team. While she may not have intended harm, it affected trust and morale. From a coaching perspective, she often repeated the same basic feedback about hitting all season without much depth or adaptability. At the end of the day, she likely cares about her players and their success, but coaching may not be the best fit for her strengths. A more structured, professional, and consistent environment would help everyone thrive, and that starts at the top."

"Coach Curylo brings a unique perspective to the role, especially with her strong emphasis on academics. Her background as a former teacher really shows—she genuinely cares about players succeeding in the classroom and supports them in choosing majors that align with long-term goals, not just athletic ones. That’s something we really appreciated. That said, when it came to softball itself, there were definitely challenges. There seemed to be some inconsistency in how players were treated—some days felt relaxed and productive, while others felt like everyone was walking on eggshells. Injuries weren’t always fully understood or handled with the sensitivity you’d hope for in a high-level program. One of the more difficult dynamics was how assistant coaches were often criticized or undermined in front of the team. It made it hard for the group to buy into the staff as a united front. When a new coach joined—someone with national championships both as a player and coach—she wasn’t fully utilized. Despite having a wealth of experience, she was mostly limited to working with pitchers, and players had to seek her out privately for advice on the game as a whole to avoid tension. Overall, not the worst coaching experience out there, but there is definitely room for growth—especially in terms of communication, staff management, and consistency. The academic support was a huge plus, but to be a successful head coach, staying level-headed and building trust across the whole team and staff is just as important."

"Coach Buksa deserves positive ratings considering that the UIC athletic administrators fired the head coach 2 days before season probably from parent complaints. She could have resigned and left the team with nobody. Players and parents doing the blame game. Next year we will see how successful the team is. Btw, two senior on this team were Conference champions and went to regionals. It was a successful program with these coaches and players. "

"Jamie Buksa, the now former Interim Head Coach for UIC, is a failure at coaching and was demeaning to her team. At the beginning of the season, she said she was going to make history - and she did! With her 9-46 record this season, she became the losingest coach in UIC history. She led the country in losses across all D1 softball programs this year. She had the brilliant idea to start all her seniors almost every game, which is a group that has collectively lost over 150 games since they've been there. So what did the seniors do this year? Lose! Same as they have done the entire time they've been there. Jamie Buksa said she would live and die with her seniors, and she died with them. The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) League recognized this too, as not one of the seniors received any recognition or awards from the league. Hailey was the only senior standout, and should have received something for her offense, but I blame the coach because the teams record was so abysmal that she was probably overlooked. Jamie Buksa has lost over 230 games since she joined the program in 2018, and along with her predecessor, they have 2 of the losingest seasons in the history of the UIC softball program. These are FACTS! She does not take any accountability for anything, and instead she would ridicule the team, never encouraged them, instilled a loser mentality and didn't know how to adapt. She also drove away the pitching coach, who quit in the middle of the season. Her assistant, Coach C (Joanna Cirrincione), is just as terrible as she is and should never coach again. She Buksa's little minion, and was never a part of the solution, but always part of the problem. For the sake of the program, I'm glad Buksa and her coaching staff of 1 are leaving, along with the toxic seniors. There is still talent on this team, and with the right coaching staff they can possibly turn things around. "

"RECRUITS - PAY ATTENTION! Coach Buksa is a terrible coach who finds a way to lose games. She’s the most toxic coach in NCAA softball. Her whole approach is to demean us, yell at us, cause unnecessary stress, and it makes us hate playing the game. She’s a complete liar and can’t be trusted. Now that our losing streak is in the 20’s, it’s become an embarrassment to us, the program and the school. I hope the AD at UIC is seriously watching this train wreck and is going to bring in a great staff next year. Most of these girls are going to leave, and they should. "