Bio

Former McLennan player Jessica Smith returned to campus in 2015 as an assistant softball coach.

The McLennan squad has qualified for the regional tournament every year since Smith joined the program, and made national tournament appearances in 2016 and most recently in the record-breaking season of 2022. That squad left their mark on everything they touched during the season, claiming the conference championship, regional championship and finishing as the runner-up in the national championship. The 2022 team featured 12 all-conference selections, including a sweep of the offensive, defensive and pitching awards, six all-region selections, three NFCA all-region and all-American selections, four national tournament all-tournament selections, the national tournament offensive MVP, four NJCAA all-Americans and the NJCAA Co-Player of the Year. The squad also dominated in the classroom with six conference, 12 NJCAA and 14 NFCA academic awards.

The 2023 squad finished in second place in the NTJCAC conference race with a 27-5 record and ended the season as the Region V Runner-Up with an overall record of 44-13, narrowly missing a return trip the national tournament. Nine players received NTJCAC All-Conference honors, including Erin Plunkett the Defensive Player of the Year, four received NFCA All-Region honors and two were named 2023 NJCAA Division I Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners. The squad also excelled in the classroom, ranking sixth with a 3.712 GPA among the 61 junior colleges recognized by the NFCA and also being named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year Honorable Mention. Six players were named Academic All-Conference, 12 earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honors and 16 earned NFCA Academic Awards, and Plunkett was named to the 2023 CSC Academic All-America^® Women's At-Large Team in the College Division.

In all, Smith has coached seven NJCAA All-Americans, and 57 players have earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honorees. In 2018, she took the reins of the team during the postseason and led the squad to a second-place finish in the NJCAA Region V North Tournament. She also plays an integral part in recruiting for the softball program.

Smith was a member of the 2012 McLennan softball squad that finished as runners-up in the Region V North Tournament. She recorded a .338 batting average with a .363 on-base percentage, 17 RBIs and 18 walks. She has spent seven years working both winter and summer softball camps at McLennan.

Before joining the McLennan staff, Smith spent two years as the executive assistant at Waco Sports Academy, where she oversaw the daily training of athletes.

Smith received a bachelor’s degree in allied health from Texas A&M University in 2015 and a master's degree in sport management from Liberty University in 2018. She has one daughter, Saydee.

Coaching experience
2015-present: Assistant coach, McLennan Community College

Playing experience
2011-12: McLennan Community College

Education           

2018: Master’s in sport management, Liberty University

2015: Bachelor’s in allied health, Texas A&M University