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Jenny Parsons
Jenny Parsons was named head coach of the Central Arkansas softball program on June 23, 2021, after spending the last 10 seasons as an assistant/associate head coach.
The 2023 season saw a number of milestones and program records with Parsons leading the way. Central Arkansas won a program-record 45 games, claiming the team's first ASUN regular season and conference tournament titles. In doing so, the Bears earned their first NCAA Regional berth since 2015. Parsons led the team to Tuscaloosa, where the program notched its first NCAA Tournament win in a 15-0 drubbing of Long Island University. For her outstanding season, Parsons was named the ASUN's Coach of the Year, winning the honor in a unanimous vote. The 2023 season saw a ton of accolades for her student athletes, with nine players being added to all-conference teams, while also picking up Pitcher and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the league. Additionally, Kayla Beaver and Tremere Harris were named All-Region players. Under Parsons' tutelage, the Bears posted the nation's third-lowest ERA, allowing just a 1.50 ERA. The team also recorded the fifth-best fielding percentage in the country and recorded 18 shutouts on the year.
Parsons also oversaw the program's first wins over the Arkansas Razorbacks, sweeping the Hogs in 2023. Facing the then-No. 6/8 Razorbacks on the road for the first matchup of the season, the Bears pulled off a 2-1 upset, led by ASUN Pitcher of the Year Jordan Johnson. Then, on the return trip to Conway, the Bears blanked Arkansas, downing the SEC powerhouse 4-0 in front of a Farris Field record 2,475 fans.
Her first season at the helm continued the success that Parsons had built as a lead assistant, as the Bears won 37 games again in 2022. Joining the ASUN in the summer of 2021, Central Arkansas found immediate success in the league, earning the No. 2 seed in the ASUN Championships after a 17-7 showing in the ASUN West, claiming the division title. Though the conference tournament ended with a semifinal showing, the Bears' strength of schedule earned them a bid in the National Invitational Softball Championship. There, in Colorado, Parsons led the Bears to a third-place finish, with wins over Kansas and the No. 1 seed Virginia.
Parsons' leadership also saw the Bears reach a number of milestones and receive several accolades. An early season win over No. 14 LSU marked the highest-ranked win in program history at the time, as Central Arkansas defeated the Tigers 3-2. After the season, four Bears were rewarded for their elite play, with Mary Kate Brown and Tremere Harris being named First Team All-ASUN, Jaylee Engelkes earning a second team spot, and Kylie Griffin being named to the all-freshman team. As always, the pitching under Parsons was exceptional; Kayla Beaver led the ASUN with 21 wins, and Jordan Johnson led the league with 185 strikeouts. The duo each held sub-2.75 ERAs to help the Bears be one of the best pitching staffs in the conference.
Over the last two seasons, the UCA pitching staff has become one of the nation’s best pitching staffs. In 2020, the Bears were tied for fourth in the NCAA with 10 shutouts and were 17th with an ERA of 1.76. Last season, UCA bolstered a 1.92 ERA, which was 15th in the nation. The pitching staff finished the 2021 season with 15 shutouts, which was tied for 25th in the country. During the 2021 campaign, the Bears’ pitching staff tallied two all-conference honorees and one all-tournament team selection.
Parsons has helped elevate the program to a period of unparalleled success since joining the Bears in August 2011. In addition to an NCAA Regional berth and Southland Conference Tournament title in 2015, Parson’s has vaulted the Bears’ average wins per season to an astounding 32.0, almost 13 wins more per year than the previous 19.4 in the five seasons before her arrival. UCA has tallied a 224-180 (.554) overall record and 102-75 (.576) conference record during her tenure in Conway. The Bears have qualified for the Southland Conference Tournament in nine out of 10 seasons with her on staff.
In her first seven campaigns at UCA, Parsons coached three NFCA All-Region selections; three Academic All-District honorees; a Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year; a Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year; 43 All-Southland Conference selections; seven All-Southland Conference Tournament players and 14 Southland All-Academic honorees. Under the tutelage of Parsons, two separate UCA pitchers have tossed shutouts against Top-25 opponents (1-0 versus No. 25 Mississippi State in 2016 and 1-0 versus No. 18 Tulsa in 2013).
During her first two seasons with the Bears, the program twice broke the record for most wins in a season with 36 in 2012 and 38 in 2013. Central Arkansas broke 11 offensive records in 2012 before topping seven of them again the following season. Both former and current UCA players who have played for Parsons own 19 individual single-season records and 22 individual career records.
Prior to her time in Conway, Parsons coached at Nicholls for 10 seasons, including spending the final eight as the head coach. At the helm of the Colonels, Parsons guided the program to four postseason appearances in her final six seasons including a Southland Conference Tournament championship appearance in 2008. She coached the SLC Player of the Year, four All-SLC selections, two All-Louisianan, one All-Region and one All-American during her time at Nicholls.
Before her Southland Conference days, Parsons spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater East Carolina. With her pitching expertise, she helped a 2000 ECU pitching staff set school records for strikeouts (421) and wins (60). Under the tutelage of Parsons, ECU captured its first conference title and first NCAA Tournament bid in program history.
Parsons is a 2016 East Carolina University Hall of Fame inductee, where she was a two-sport student-athlete and four-year letterwinner from 1991-1994. At her time of graduation, Parsons held nine program records in the circle. She was the all-time leader in ERA (1.52), innings pitched (969.1), shutouts (34) and wins (102) while also tossing 100 complete games and striking out well over 400 batters.
Parsons, a native of Glen Burnie, Maryland, received her Bachelor’s degree in Leisure System Studies from ECU in 1994. She also later earned a Master’s degree in Athletic Administration in 1996 from ECU.
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