Kelly King enters her first season as Wingate assistant softball coach. A former player at Tusculum College, King was most recently an assistant coach at Upper Iowa University.
"I am extremely excited to have Kelly King as my new pitching coach," head coach Lani Shaffer Ries says. "She will bring a plethora of knowledge to the pitching staff along with knowing what it takes to win a SAC championship, which she did at Tusculum."
King graduated from Tusculum in 2014 and spent time as a camp advisor and team coach at USA Preps Softball Camp in Palmdale, Calif. She became the graduate assistant coach at the University of Rio Grande in August of 2014, earning her Master's Degree in Athletic Coaching Leadership.
King started at Upper Iowa in August of 2015, where she was the assistant coach and pitching coach, while also working with fundraising, community engagement, recruiting, field maintenance and monitoring academics. King helped lead Upper Iowa to the NSIC Tournament championship in 2016. The team earned first place in the NFCA Academic Award in 2016 and 2017, compiling a team GPA of 3.764 in 2016 and 3.8 in 2017.
King began her collegiate playing career Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she helped lead the team to back-to-back PSAC championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. The Crimson Hawks won the region title in 2011, advancing to the NCAA Division II World Series. King earned All-PSAC honors as a sophomore, then transferred to Tusculum for her final two seasons. The Pioneers won the SAC title in 2013, with King earning a spot on the All-SAC Tournament Team. She was an honorable mention all-conference selection in 2014 while breaking the school's single-season and career shutout record.
King earned her Bachelor Degree from Tusculum in 2014, majoring in Sport Management before earning her Master's Degree at The University of Rio Grande in May of 2016.
