Building relationships, fostering growth and instilling purpose are values that Tatum Dobson holds near. Recently named Aubrey High School’s head softball coach, she’ll have an up close view in watching them all play out.
Having played softball and graduated from Little Elm High School, Dobson took her talents to Oklahoma Wesleyan University as a scholarship athlete, playing two years as a center fielder. Wanting to be closer to home, she transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and minored in Education.
Dobson’s education career began in Lindsay ISD where she served as a science teacher and multisport coach, leading the softball program and as an assistant coach in volleyball and basketball. During her tenure, the softball program had four consecutive playoff appearances in district 10-2A, and a second place finish during her final season.
Aubrey ISD was no stranger to Dobson. She long admired the Aubrey ISD’s softball program, and after joining the district in 2025, was eager to learn from her former rival, James Ramsey, whom she coached against when he was in Collinsville.
Dobson recalled saying to herself, “Wow, I’d really like to learn from him!”
Hiring Dobson at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year proved an opportunity to see her flourish and solidified Aubrey High School Principal Dr. Vanessa Zavar’s decision to grant her the head softball coaching position.
“Over the course of the past school year, Coach Dobson has shown us her integrity, her spirit, her desire to help students grow, whether in the classroom or on the softball field,” Dr. Zavar said. “She just completely floored us with her ability to be a part of the Aubrey culture, be all in for her students and for her teammates and for her colleagues, so really it wasn’t a hard choice for me at all.”
Aubrey ISD Superintendent Dr. Shannon Saylor was impressed by Dobson from the start.
“When we hired her a year ago, when she came in, I met her first as an assistant volleyball coach, and just her relationship with kids and rapport with kids and ability to build kids up, I think she’s somebody that can come in to our head softball coaching position and bring kids along,” Dr. Saylor said.
Dobson looks forward to seeing softball athletes arrive, ready to learn and grow.
“I hope they just come with a ton of energy and excitement,” Dobson said. “I can help with skills and develop players physically; mainly that they just come with great attitudes and great effort and come every day looking forward to getting better.”
Aubrey High School’s softball history has seen success and Dr. Saylor feels Dobson will continue to deliver.
“We’ve got a lot of talented kids around Aubrey, and in our 2A days, we were state finalists and again, a couple of years ago, state finalists,” Dr. Saylor said. “I think that’s something she could definitely bring to us with her knowledge and experience in softball, and just around children, she does a great job.”
Welcome Coach Dobson!