Warrior Magazine December 2018

Eric Neel named to coach Lady Warrior Softball

softball program the EC Way—Excellence with Class, and I am excited that he will be lead ing the women’s softball team at East Central Community College.” Neel began his girls’ softball coaching career at East Central High School in Hurley, where his teams played in three straight Class 4A state championship series, winning titles in 2007 and 2009. He was named The (Biloxi) Sun Herald Softball Coach of the Year both cham pionship seasons. As head coach at Wayne County High School in Waynesboro, he guided the Lady War Eagles to three straight Class 5A state championships in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Neel was named The

Eric Neel, who has coached high school girls’ fast pitch softball teams to five state champion ships in Mississippi, is the new softball coach at East Central. Neel comes to the ECCC Lady Warrior pro gram after leading the Lake High School girls’ softball team to a second-place finish in the 2018 Mississippi High School Activities Asso ciation Class 2A State Fast Pitch Tournament. It was Lake’s first appearance in the state cham pionship finals. The Lady Hornets also won the North State Fast Pitch Title this past spring. Neel replaces Kristin Chaney, who resigned following the 2018 season. Chaney led the Lady Warriors for six seasons, amassing 233 wins

Eric Neel

(Jackson) Clarion-Ledger’s Softball Coach of the Year in 2010 and the Mississippi Association of Coaches Fast Pitch Softball Coach of the Year in 2012. As head softball coach at Biloxi High School, he coached the Lady Indians to the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs in 2015. Neel also has coached softball at Petal High School and Quitman High School, as well as taught at Meridian High School, and served as an assistant football coach while at East Central, Wayne County, Petal, Biloxi, and Meridian high schools. As head softball coach at Darton State College in Albany, Ga., Neel guided the Lady Cavaliers to the NJCAA Region 17 Championship and a trip to the NJCAA Division I Softball National Championship Tournament in 2014. Neel was named the NJCAA Region 17 Coach of the Year after leading Darton State to a 46-12 record. He was also head softball coach at Baton Rouge (La.) Community College in 2015-16. In all, Neel has compiled a 272-132 record over 11 sea sons, including five high school state championships, seven state championship appearances, and seven south or north state titles, as well as one regional championship and na tional championship tournament appearance at the junior/ community college level. Neel received his bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2000 and his master’s degree in secondary education from William Carey University in 2008.

and six trips to the postseason, including a second-place finish at the 2015 National Junior College Athletic Associa tion Division II Softball Championship Tournament. “My family and I feel very blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a part of the East Central Community Col lege family,” said Neel, who has coached fast pitch softball at the high school or junior/community college level for 11 years. “There are times in life when things fall into place and line up just right, and there is no denying who has re ally been in control of working things together. I know the good Lord brought us to this place, and my family looks forward to becoming an active part of the Decatur and New ton County communities. “Our main goal is to retain the top players from the col lege’s five-county district, as well as recruit the best players from the state and a few out of state. A strong foundation has been laid by Coach Chaney and Coach Hill [assistant coach Megan] within the program, and I look forward to continuing to build a national championship contending team year in and year out.” “Eric Neel is an outstanding coach with a proven track re cord of commitment to both the academic achievement and athletic development of student-athletes under his leader ship,” said ECCC President Dr. Billy Stewart. “As a success ful coach of championship programs at the high school and community college levels, he knows what it takes to build and maintain a successful softball program. I am confident that Coach Neel will continue to develop our Lady Warrior

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