July 13, 2012
† † †The Eagles Athletic Department at Northeast Texas Community College recently announced that Jessica Keith has been hired as the new head softball coach.
† † †Keith is no stranger to NTCC, as she played third base for the Eagles in 1998 and 1999. She has been the head coach at Ranger College for the past nine years and served as an assistant for two years prior.
† † †"Jessica is a great addition to our coaching staff. She has a solid track record as a head coach and she also has the benefit of being an alumni and having a built-in connection with our program," Josh Stewart, NTCC Athletic Director, said.
† † †After playing at NTCC for two years, Keith transferred to the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where she continued to play ball competitively. This included playing four summers overseas in England, France, Holland and Germany. She later completed her bachelor's degree at Tarleton State University and began her career in coaching. She is a native of Eastland, Texas, which is near Ranger.
† † †"Softball is just in my blood. I loved the game when I was a player and I try to share that love with the girls I coach. We are going to have a great time this year and I can't wait to get started," Keith said.
† † †Keith led her Ranger team to win its conference in 2012. Four of her players have committed to join her at NTCC this year.
† † †"We should have a very experienced team coming into the season. I know my sophomores from Ranger are natural leaders and we have about 13 girls returning from last year's squad. We should be in position for a good season," Keith said.
† † †Keith was hired after former head coach Jay Terry accepted another position. She will be assisted by Kayla King, who has been the assistant coach at NTCC for three years.
† † †"I am pleased to have Kayla as my assistant. She is experienced and familiar with the program. I think we are going to work very well together," Keith said.
† † †Despite being an NTCC alumni, Keith admitted that the campus has changed a lot in the 13 years since she played here.
† † †"I was blown away at the positive changes to the campus since I went to school here. From our field to our housing to our academic facilities, this is really one of the best campuses in the state," she said. "I am so happy to be back at NTCC."
† † †For more information about NTCC Eagles Softball, visit www.ntcceagles.com.
